I am pleased to hear that you have found flipped learning useful in your setting. I like the idea of the flipped classroom, however, I do not believe it is beneficial for students in all settings. Although it may save time in the classroom, it is only effective if all students buy into the learning that occurs at home. It sounds like flipped learning is more beneficial as a supplement to learning than fully incorporating it into the classroom/home environment. Also, students may have the opportunity to watch lessons over and over again, but rewatching it numerous times does not necessarily mean students will eventually understand the content. Providing additional and supplemental materials can help struggling learners and enrich learning for the advanced learners, but if students are not self-motivated, these resources are useless. The flipped classroom did not yield significant test results with students due to the failed attempt to implement the flipped classroom (Hennessy, 2012). Although I like the idea of flipped learning, and how it shifts learning to be more student-centered, it is only effective with student buy-in and careful planning and execution (Educause, 2012). My high school math teacher implemented the flipped classroom one semester and although it was a different way of learning, the content was not differentiated at home and I often found myself bored in class because I finished the assignments early. I was able to help other classmates who were struggling, but there was not enough time to help them fully understand the content. For the students in my class who had no motivation to learn, they struggled to keep up in the classroom and ultimately fell behind.
References:
EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. [PDF document]. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2012/2/eli7081-pdf.pdf
Hennessy, M. (2012, August 10). New Study on the Flipped Classroom by Concordia Portland’s Dr. Jeremy Renner Shows Mixed Results. [web log comment]. Retrieved from: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/
The flipped classroom has many educational benefits and if it is carefully planned and implemented in the right setting, I believe it can be successful; however, there are many barriers that make it difficult to implement the flipped classroom successfully. One barrier to implementing the flipped classroom is the lack of access to technology (Nielson, 2011). Not all students have access to a computer or transportation to a library to access technology. If teachers were to implement a flipped classroom, they would need to make sure they provide all students access to technology in order for them to complete the instructional portion at home. Another barrier to the flipped classroom is student and parent buy-in. Because the instructional piece will occur at home, all students need to be self-motivated to watch the videos, read through resources, and interact with the learning materials on their own. Simply assigning it as “homework” does not always motivate students. When I was in high school my math teacher implemented a flipped classroom and it was successful for the students who were self-motivated and watched the instructional videos at home every day, but the students who did not watch the videos struggled to keep up in the classroom. Implementing the flipped classroom would be difficult to implement in the setting I teach because there is no motivation or accountability to learn outside of the school setting. Although homework is assigned daily, the same few students turn in homework completed, and even though parents are made aware of homework that their child brings home, there is no accountability of learning at home. There would need to be a shift in the culture of learning in order to successfully implement the flipped classroom. One of the biggest challenges that prevents the flipped classroom from being effective is the lack of careful preparation it requires (Educause, 2012). Teachers need to provide out-of-class materials that will support all learners, and create in-class elements that engage and challenge students to use what they learned at home in the classroom setting. A study of the flipped classroom showed that there was not a significant difference in test scores of students who did and did not participate in the flipped classroom due to the failed attempt at implementing the flipped classroom (Hennessy, 2012). While the method of the flipped classroom has the potential to yield positive learning results, if it is not carefully planned and implemented appropriately, it may do more harm than good.
References:
EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. [PDF document]. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2012/2/eli7081-pdf.pdf
Hennessy, M. (2012, August 10). New Study on the Flipped Classroom by Concordia Portland’s Dr. Jeremy Renner Shows Mixed Results. [web log comment]. Retrieved from: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/students-faculty-alumni/new-study-on-the-flipped-classroom-by-concordias-dr-jeremy-renner-shows-mixed-results/
Nielson, L. (2011, October 8). Five Reasons I’m not Flipping Over the Flipped Classroom. [web log comment]. Retrieved from: https://
Alicyn Otoshi
ED.893.645.9B.SU18
