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What is a flipped classroom?

Flipped classroom is a “pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter” (The Flipped Learning Network, 2014).

Why should I flip my classroom?

While there are many benefits, the key benefit is encouraging learners to take ownership of their learning. The approach shifts the focus from being a Teacher-centred approach to being Learner-Centred. This type of shift can have huge benefits in encouraging autonomous learning in general.

There's also time for greater expansion and more in-depth consolidation of content, allowing learners to actively participate in knowledge construction.

Three key parts of the Flipped Classroom

Access / Navigation

Learners have to be able to navigate content easily and effectively. The flipped content has to be easy to access and navigate.

Content

A dynamic teacher will always be better at engaging students and the same applies to content. Dynamic, varied and engaging content is key.

Feedback

Without a teacher present, learners need to know if their understanding of the content is correct. It's a good idea to have both baseline and formative assessments built in to the flipped model.

Access / Navigation

Access

In the South African context, learners are very likely to access digital content on a mobile device rather than a laptop/desktop. The limitations of these devices have to be considered when you are compiling content. One limitation, for example, is the physical size of a cellphone screen. For the most part, these are very small. Sending a .PDF document with all the content can be difficult to engage with.

Another key limitation is data usage. While Video content is always a great option, this is often not viable and depends largely on the context within which you teach. Even when videos are used, the general consensus is that these videos should be short (6 - 12 minutes) and supplemented with additional resources rather than just being a video replacement of your lesson.

Navigation

Navigating content on their own can be challenging for learners, especially when they first engage with this new type of learning. A platform that makes it easy for learners to navigate content is an essential part of designing a flipped classroom environment.

An example of such a platform can be the use of Wakelet. One of the courses on this site looks at this in more detail: WebQuest with Wakelet. Wakelet is very easy to use and a great platform to glue together and arrange a variety of digital resources in order to build content knowledge.

An emerging trend is to create Virtual Classrooms using Google Slides (review the Virtual Library of the Foundation Phase site for an example of this). This course builds on the idea of a Virtual Classroom with the focus of creating a self-navigating learning platform (an expanded version of the Flipped Classroom). In general, the benefit of Google Slides vs Wakelet is having greater freedom and flexibility in design. With the greater flexibility however is some added complexity.

Content: A Self-Navigating Slide

Please review the below resources on Self-Navigational Slides. If you are still confused about what it all entails, please review the theoretical part of our Webinar on Flipped Classrooms with Google slides.

Click here for Templates

A self-navigating Slide explaining what a Self-Navigating Slide is

Self-Navigating Slides

A Webinar about the Theory with practical application

Feedback: Adding Assessment

Assessment allows us to determine whether or not learning has taken place. This can happen as both Formal (also known as Summative) or Informal (also known as Formative) Assessment. When you Flip your Classroom or use Blended Learning, knowing that learning is still taking place is essential.

In a classroom environment, the teacher takes a central role in informal assessment. We tend to use assessment of learning a lot more than we realise. For example: when learners are asked questions in class, this is essentially a quick form of assessment of learning (formative assessment). The intention is to inform the teacher whether learning has taken place. The same principle applies to homework. Informal assessment allows a teacher to determine whether learners have acquired the necessary knowledge.

Flipping the classroom requires the same thing, however the classroom's function changes. Flipping the classroom means there is actually much more time for formative assessment in the classroom than ever before. Traditional assessment styles will still offer great value, for example, questions and answers, homework etc. Alternatively, new digital tools can supplement traditional formative assessment and offer greater insights than ever before.

Please review our course on Digital Assessment for some ideas of how to incorporate digital tools into formative assessment.

Digital Assessment Course

Knowledge Check Questions

Just as you would ask questions in the class before continuing to the next work, such questions add great value to the learning experience.

When you flip the classroom, this could be an element that is lost. Adding so-called "knowledge check" questions can be useful when creating a self-navigated learning resource.

Click here for the templates

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