Flipped Learning (Summer 2017-91)
Pro (Benefits)
Side Score: 28
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Con (Challenges)
Side Score: 6
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Among the opportunities of just getting students adept to using 21st century tools and skills, a flipped learning environmental and instructional strategy becomes effective in providing teachers with an additional outlet for support in student learning. As outlined in What is Flipped Learning, an effective implementation of flipped learning is when an educator can provide an effective and flexible learning environment, an enriching learning culture, provide intentional content to optimize learning time and delivery, and practicing being a active and engaged professional educator (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). Before diving into why a flipped learning experience is an effective instructional strategy, it is important to consider these four components when thinking about an effective approach to this pedagogical implementation. When done correctly, flipped learning provides a new layer to students interacting with materials that aren’t present in a traditional classroom. In Revisiting the blended learning literature: Using a complex adaptive systems framework, it emphasizes how learning has improved in their representation of figure 2 where “improvements in learning content have been reported” and that while learning support hasn’t been as thoroughly researched as other components of a flipped learning environment, it still gives students the ability to “feel more accountable regarding the ideas and theories explored in class” and their “metacognitive ability in comprehension, argumentation, reasoning and various forms of higher order thinking” (Wang, Han, & Yang, 2015). By incorporating a flipped learning instructional strategy, an educator is effectively providing a student with the whole of their learning experience as opposed to the part when just being in a traditional classroom setting. If this instructional strategy has the chance to improve student learning and provide them with a stronger foundational to their educational prowess, why not take the opportunity in providing them with such an experience? References Flipped Learning Network. (2014). What is flipped learning? The four pillars of F-L-I-P. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/wp-content/ Wang, Y., Han, X., & Yang, J. (2015). Revisiting the blended learning literature: Using a complex adaptive systems framework. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18, 380–393. Retrieved from http://ifets.info/journals/182/28.pdf Side: Pro (Benefits)
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I see education as having 2 main parts: Learning skills/information Practicing those skills/seeing how they connect to previously learned topics and skills/their implications on everything else you've previously learned. I think it would be much easier to perform the first bullet on your own using electronic and other resources. The second bullet has so many facets/permutations/opportunities that it seems like it would be best done as part of a collaborative effort. Also, in a typical classroom, a student who doesn't understand a topic is often tasked with learning the confusing material on their own. In a flipped classroom, a student who doesn't understand a topic they attempted to learn independently can ask a trained teacher for help; the whole point of a flipped class is to allow the teacher more time for differentiated activities. Side: Pro (Benefits)
Tell us why you think flipped learning is an effective instructional strategy. When it comes down to it, there is not enough time in the day. Flipped learning allows teachers and students to maximize the time they spend outside of the classroom so they can maximize the time they spend in the classroom. Studies have shown that a flipped classroom model can lead to greater student learning gains. In one such study, for students in the same course receiving two instructional models (flipped and a traditional method), those who engaged in flipped learning demonstrated higher achievement on assessments (Brame, 2013). When you start to think about why flipped learning works, it starts to make sense. The more students are exposed to material, the more opportunities they have to make sense of it. If students are first exposed to content at home, they have more time to ask questions and References: Brame, C., (2013). Flipping the classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
When I think back to my own K-12 learning experiences, I was always the student 3x slower than my peers. It look me a lot longer to fully grasp an understanding of a particular topic (especially in math and science) and I always wanted an opportunity for either the pace of my classes to slow down or at least have a space where I could review the materials without having to meet with my teacher all the time. Being a part of a flipped classroom for math and science would have been incredibly beneficial to me as a learner. Being in a flipped classroom would have allowed me to be more confident in my abilities, stay more organized with the materials, and excited and comfortable with collaborative activities with peers. Even in graduate school when my professors simply share their agendas and powerpoints for class is an incredibly helpful way for me to review materials and fully understand a topic I may have struggled with. Integrating the flipped classroom model will require patience and dedication from both the teacher and the student, but its results will be powerful. Side: Pro (Benefits)
Using flipped learning as an instructional strategy allows scholars to reach their full potential. Although many have argued flipped learning is not an effective strategy because, “The flipped classroom is built on a traditional model of teaching and learning,” (Nielson 2011). I would argue that flipped learning strays away from the traditional style of learning and teaching and instead encourages scholars to take initiative and become accountable for their education. In a blended learning study, it was stated, “The flipped classroom promoted student empowerment, development and engagement…” (Wang, Han, & Yang 2015) which is unlike the traditional style of teaching. How amazing is it to have all scholars engaged and empowered to learn because of flipped learning! Flipped classrooms also assist in differentiation for scholars which means all scholars will have their needs met. As shared by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams ,“Our special education teachers love this model as well. Because all the direct instruction is recorded, students with special needs can watch the videos as many times as they need to learn the material. No more frantically trying to copy down notes with the hope that they'll understand them later…” (Bergmann, Sams, 2012). Educators can easily accommodate their scholars to ensure their success because of this instructional strategy. By using this strategy, educators are preparing 21st century learners and meeting all scholars’ needs, why would an educator think twice about using a teaching strategy that can bring so much success to their students? References Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Why you should flip your classroom. In Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day (pp. 19–33). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112060/chapters/Why-You-Should-Flip-Your-Classroom.aspx Nielson, L. (2011, October 8). Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved from Lisa Nielson The Innovative Educator: https:// Wang, Y., Han, X., & Yang, J. (2015). Revisiting the Blended Learning Literature: Using a Complex Adaptive Systems Framework. Educational Technology & Society, 18 (2), 380–393. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Hi Everyone, I am personally a big fan of the flipped classroom. Though I have not implemented the flipped model in my classroom, I can see the many benefits of moving toward a flipped classroom. In a flipped classroom, there is a great deal of flexibility. In the traditional classroom setting, when a teacher gives a lecture, the student cannot pause to process the information in a way that is best suited for their learning. However, in a flipped classroom, “…video and other prerecorded media puts lectures under the control of the students: they can watch, rewind, and fast-forward as needed” (EDUCAUSE, 2012). This is a valuable resource to someone like myself, who needs the additional time to pause and process what is being taught. It is also of great value to those who may have accessibility issues, such as hearing or vision loss (Educause, 2012). The flipped classroom model also helps to shift the focus from “teacher-centered” to “learner-centered”. This is in part due to the flexibility provided to each learner, and because teachers have more flexibility to tailor the class time for the direct application of the concepts (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). The flipped classroom model would allow instructors more time in class to “… observe students, provide them with feedback, assess work”, and address possible misconceptions that arise (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). I know that for me as an instructor, it would open a significant amount of class time if students were able to complete the instructional component of learning at home. This would give me additional time for hands on learning explorations and labs during class. I hope to eventually flip my sciences classes, so that I can better serve my students. Selamawit Bariamichael EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ Flipped Learning Network. (2014). What is flipped learning? The four pillars of F-L-I-P. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/wp-content/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Something I struggled with in my classroom all year was differentiation. Feeling like I was losing/boring my higher kids while my lower kids continued to fall behind because I had to spend my class time teaching the new content. I am FOR the flipped classroom because it really hit home as a method to implement for me to reach all my students with different levels of readiness. Using some tools like Podcastgenerator and Youtube Playlists, I would be able to post lessons on our Google Classroom so all of my students would be able to get the material. Using the Google Classroom platform allows students to comment and ask questions to not only me but to their peers as well. Having the students get the gist of the new material at home (even if it's just getting familiar with hear the words around the concept), they come into class more ready and more willing to put in an effort. The flipped classroom now allows me to step out of the role as sole "lecturer," and allows me to become a "coach," or "facilitator," of the material. This way, I could create small groups for my students who need that extra guidance, and in the same setting, push my higher-readiness students to relate this content to real-world scenarios. I believe this type of classroom would have a higher level of students engaged for more of the time and less students giving up or not wanting to try. Side: Pro (Benefits)
I appreciate the fact that most of your support for a flipped classroom has to do with differentiation. I think this pedagogy is at the core of a flipped classroom. It's great that you are already thinking ahead about how you can implement aspects of a flipped classroom with tools you already use in class - using Google Classroom is a great way to introduce video lectures. Would all of your students be able to access these resources you provide? How would you accommodate students who do not have internet access at home? Side: Pro (Benefits)
We have been reading and hearing a lot about the importance of student engagement and student voice-- i.e. student-centered learning-- as well as the importance of what the ultimate goal of the education we provide them should be: preparation for the 21st century real-world, as critical thinkers, innovators and leaders, adept at the technology that encompasses this world. What better and more direct way to do this than by learning in a flipped classroom environment? In the Educause article, "Things You Should Know About... Flipped Classrooms", it states "The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities" which then "puts more of the responsibility for learning on the shoulders of students while giving them greater impetus to experiment" (2012). Students, then, are engaged, communicating and collaborating with others, while also tapping into the higher order thinking skills described in Bloom's Taxonomy: application of knowledge, analysis, evaluation and creation/innovation. Meanwhile, the role of the instructor is to act as an "onsite expert" who coaches and guides individual and team progress on activities, while also being freed up to check for understanding, and therefore correct errors, and to finally give the differentiation support that students need. Additionally, with differentiation in mind, the content delivered through videos and podcasts also aids learners, who, individually, can stop and rewind areas that they need to hear again to increase understanding, while "high-flyers" can fast forward when necessary and go at their faster pace. This is all while content is delivered in multi-media formats, using 21st century technology. "Ok, so it's great in concept, but what are the results?" you might ask. In an infographic designed by Sophia and the Flipped Learning Network, statistics show the following: Before the flip, 50% of high school freshmen failed English; after the flip, only 19% failed English. Before the flip, 44% of high school freshmen failed Math; after the flip, only 13% failed Math. * Before the flip, there were 736 discipline cases in one semester; after the flip, this number was reduced to 249. Looking at the opportunities presented for differentiation, engagement, communication, collaboration, formative assessment and one-on-one guidance, as well as access to technology and higher order thinking skills, I cannot help but be a proponent of the flipped classroom as a very effective means for instruction. Resources: EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Incorporating at least some flipped learning in a 21st century classroom is pretty much inevitable, and when desired it’s definitely a practice that can have a positive impact if implemented effectively. Though flipped learning is usually thought of as a setting where “typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed,” teachers can flip classes by having students engage in “active learning, … hybrid courses, … [and repurpose] class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities” (Educause, 2012). Reading and discerning information from text and media sources, especially online, is a hugely important 21st century skill for students who no longer opt to finding the certified true answer to a question in a printed encyclopedia rather than perform a google search. MartinLutherKing.org, for example, is a misinformation and conspiracy site ran by white supremacists. The power of a teacher to facilitate and guide students through workshop style learning of presented resources ensures students are taught to explore course content effectively and that students will build ISTE standard-based skills in areas like media literacy, computational thinking, creative communication, and digital-global collaboration (ISTE, 2016). Turning over activities group work and independent accountability makes students active participants in constructing knowledge, which can have a noticeable impact on student culture in the classroom opposed to spaces where the teacher must consistently be the sole center of attention and knowledge. The educator(s) in a flipped setting however, must be even more “professional” and “reflective” in their role, while it is visibly less prominent, in order to “continually observe their students, [provide] feedback relevant in the moment, and [assess] their work” (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). Doing so, and flipping the classroom effectively, opens up personalized learning opportunities for students and reinforces skills needed to be an active learner through high school, college and a professional career and reflective life. References: EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/ Flipped Learning Network. (2014). What is flipped learning? The four pillars of F-L-I-P. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/ ISTE (2016). Redefining learning in a technology-driven world: A report to support adoption of the ISTE Standards for Students. Published June 2016, from https://www.iste.org/docs/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
When I consider the benefits of a flipped classroom, I am most impressed by the effect it can have on my lower level learners, in addition to all of my students. My greatest professional development goal this past school year was differentiation. I believe that a flipped classroom provides the ability for student voice to be heard, and collaboration to be practiced. Students are able to hold a high interest in the course material because of its format, all while being held accountable for their participation. I have found that many of my students learn best utilizing technology and having visual aids. If my students are able to watch content-related videos, Flocabulary, or participate in online activities at home, they can then apply this student-centered learning to their in-class lessons and activities. Additionally, I believe this learning format instills a great sense of pride for my students and because these formats can be differentiated, my lower level learners will not become disengaged with the material. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Reading through Bergmann and Sams' chapter on why educators should flip their classrooms solidified some of my prior reasons for wanting to adopt this method while simultaneously broadening my perspective on its benefits. The primary reasons that I had looked into adopting a flipped classroom was to allow more differentiation that allowed students the opportunity to review information, expand their knowledge on topics that intrigued them, and provide differentiation on a level that is difficult to maintain in a classroom where students are operating at various levels. The authors' description of going through a lecture and having some students shouting out in dismay that they were not yet completed with the notes while others had finished minutes before brought back vivid memories from my own classroom. However, a component that I had spent less time looking into was that as a content coach I would have more time to interact with students and guide their learning through student-teacher interactions and student-student interactions. Building relationships can be incredibly difficult when you are constantly managing for behavior as a result of students operating on different paces and getting bored or not being invested in the lesson. Having opportunities for students to interact more with the material, do hands on activities, collaborate with their peers in groups, and receive tutorials based on their achievement leads to a classroom that truly centers on learning rather than lecturing. Over the years I have managed to significantly decrease the amount of time in my class that is dedicated to direct instruction, yet at the same time I have still struggled with building opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers on research and other activities as a result of different students being at such varied places. This method allows for more opportunities to craft this time for true interaction amongst the individuals in the classroom in order to build those strong relationships and in turn produce higher levels of content mastery. Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Why you should flip your classroom. In Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day (pp. 19–33). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
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I love the flipped classroom design because it allows the Educator to introduce material before the Educator teaches the students the next day. Students get a summary of the next class’s lesson, and can prepare if they have any potential questions. A flipped classroom design also benefits by student by being able to help struggling students (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). Educators can provide more instruction to students that do not understand the material. Students are also able to work at their own pace. If they do not understand a concept, they can go over the material as many times as they need. In addition, students who understand the material quickly can go on to the next concept and not get bored. An additional benefit of the flipped design is not missing any days of school if the Educator is absent or if there is no school due to a weather-related issue. Students would be able to learn the material at home, and Educators can be available via messaging, email or video to answer any questions the students might have. A blended classroom allows the teacher to increase interaction with the students. By Educators interacting with their students more, Educators will be able to know their students better, and thus be able to provide better differentiated instruction to their students. Educators will be able to ascertain how the student needs help with a lesson or concept. This in turn creates a positive learning environment for both student and Educator. Another benefit of the flipped classroom is increasing student-to-student interaction. Students can ask their classmates for help and learn from each other. By teaching each other, students begin to understand the material better. Flipped classroom also educates the parents. Most parents are not aware of what their children learn in the classroom. With the flipped design, parents are able to watch the videos, start a conversation with their children, and also learn how their children are learning according to the current State Standards. A flipped classroom design provides many opportunities for students, Educators and parents.
Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Why you should flip your classroom. In Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day (pp. 19–33). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/ Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Flipping the classroom will transform your teaching practice. You will no longer stand in front of our students and talk at them for 30 to 60 minutes at lipping allows students to pause and rewind their teacher As educators, we usually have a specific curriculum we need to cover in our courses. Students are expected to learn a given body of knowledge, and most of the time we hope that they understand our presentations. However, even the best presenters and lecturers have students who fall behind and don't understand or learn all that is required. When you flip the classroom, you give the students control of the remote. Giving students the ability to pause their teachers is truly revolutionary. Students are now able to pause the teacher when they don't understand or need to review. Pausing is a powerful feature for a number of reasons. Making students all sit in tidy rows and listen to their teacher eloquently explain his or her area of expertise is not always an effective means of communicating to them. We often move too fast for some students and too slowly for others. Our quick learners understand immediately and get bored waiting, while our struggling students take more time to process. Inevitably, when we click the arrow to move to the next slide, a small group of students scream and shout asking to go back to the previous slide. Ashton will invariably ask, "Mister, what was the answer to number one" as we are reviewing number six. When we give students the ability to pause their teachers, they have the chance to process at the speed that is appropriate for them. You should especially encourage students who process more slowly to use the rewind button so they can hear you explain something more than one time. If they still don't understand, you can work with them individually or in small groups in the classroom. This radical change will allow you to take on a different role with your students. We as teachers are at school not only to teach content, but also to inspire, to encourage, to listen, and to provide a vision for our students. This happens in the context of relationships. I have always believed that a good teacher builds relationships with students. Students need positive adult role models in their lives. We hope we can be such role models. Flipping will allow you to build better relationships with your students. This is due to the increased teacher–student interactions. One of the struggles in today's schools is accommodating a vast range of abilities in each class. We have everyone from students who excel, to average students, to students who struggle with our content, to students who cannot read. Flipping the class shows you just how needy many of your students are and how powerful the flipped classroom is in reaching students all along this broad range of abilities. Because the majority of your time is used to walk around the room and help students, you are able to personalize the learning of all. For your students who quickly understand the content,you can cut down on the number of problems they need to do. Think of these as individual contracts with each student, where the student has to prove understanding. These students appreciate this because they realize we are not interested in busywork, but rather learning. For your students who struggle, you should look for key understanding. You must realize that your course is hard for many students and that learning doesn't come easily for all. For these students, you can often modify their work on the fly by asking them to complete only key problems instead of all of them. This way our students who struggle will learn the essential objectives and not get bogged down with some of the more advanced topics that may just confuse them. Flipping the classroom allows you to differentiate your classroom since the students can now have the freedom to speedup, or slow down your material, as needed. Feeling incredibly frustrated with students taking quizzes and tests unprepared, doing poorly, and then you would move on—regardless of performance. Now you can use classroom time to address student questions and review problems that they are frequently missing. Under a traditional model of teaching, you have students who consistently do not pay attention in class. These students are often a distraction to the rest of the class and negatively affected everybody else's learning. They are often either bored or just simply unruly. When you flip the classroom, you can discover something amazing. Because you were not just standing and talking at kids, many of the classroom management problems evaporated. Students who needed an audience no longer had one. Because class time is primarily used for students to either do hands-on activities or work in small groups, those students who were typically a distraction become a nonissue. They either do not have an audience or they are no longer bored and are more willing to dive into the learning. Group dynamic is the most important characteristic of flipped classrooms. Even though lectures are watched at home and tests are meant to evaluate the comprehension level of each student, most of the time spent in the classroom is catered towards teamwork. Mobile technology can also be very important as far as flipped classrooms are concerned. Classroom technology doesn’t teach students about using mobile devices, but it encourages interaction – with each other, with content, and with teachers. K-12 initiatives are based on this type of thinking and encourage these approaches in the higher education setting. The flipped classroom forces you to ask the important question, “Where and how is the best place to deliver this content?” Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Flipped learning is an effective instructional practice that is here to stay, and will continue to challenge educators to leverage increasingly accessible and collaborative information technology to improve learning outcomes for all students. While even its proponents admit that there are some common pitfalls associated when attempting to implement a flipped classroom (Bergman & Sams, 2012; Educause, 2012), much of the research on the efficacy of this blended-learning approach effects significant gains in learner outcomes (Wang, Han & Yang, 2015). In fact Wang, Han & Yang (2015) cite Hsu and Hsieh (2014, p. 233) in their study of the flipped classroom, wherein they observed the development of “metacognitive ability in comprehension, argumentation, reasoning and various forms of higher order thinking”. In my own college experience, both in my undergraduate and graduate educations, I have had to engage with direct instruction independently to a great degree, with much of my time in class focused on discussion, application, analysis, or development of some sort of learning product. I believe in this way alone, the flipped classroom and flipped learning as a result is a valuable pedagogy for our high school students as they prepare for their own post-secondary pursuits. Furthermore, the ability for students to exercise greater control over the pace of direct instruction is extremely important for most learners, but especially so for ELLs and special education students, as specifically advocated by Bergman & Sams (2012). This is crucial to my own educational practice as each year about 70% of my students are either ELLs and/or Special Education students. By pushing more of foundational direct instruction outside of the classroom, I am better able to give more responsive support, practice and extension to my students as they demonstrate need. References: Bergman, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Why you should flip your classroom. In flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day. (pp. 19-33). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112060/chapters/Why-You-Should-Flip-Your-Classroom.aspx EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about...flipped classrooms. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ Wang, Y., Han, X., & Yang, J. (2015). Revisiting the blended learning literature: Using a complex adaptive systems framework. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18, 380–393. Retrieved from http://ifets.info/journals/18_2/28.pdf Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Two major themes arise in the arguments against the flipped classroom: (1) accountability for learning and (2) appropriateness (whether developmentally or otherwise). In response to the need for greater accountability for learning outside the classroom – I believe that this is accomplished both through the development of positive classroom culture around independent learning – which may include significant skills development – as well as creating opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration both peer-to-peer and student-teacher. The flipped classroom challenges both teachers and students to reach beyond what is comfortable, the teacher will need to use some of the classroom time they have reclaimed by pushing direct instruction outside of class time to reorient learners in this new model. It will also be necessary to teach skills relevant to independent learning and study, to ensure that students are able to get the most out of the direct instruction they are engaging outside of class. In terms of accountability, the use of EdPuzzle to assess learner comprehension during and after direct instruction will be invaluable. Systems like EdPuzzle allow the teacher to include annotations that may further explain concepts and even provide students with additional and alternative sources for learning. Incorporating discussion elements based off of direct instruction through systems like Edmodo heighten the level of peer-accountability while also offering a potential source for clarifying and refining ideas. Teachers may either use the same system or use exclusively student-teacher communication tools, like Remind to support individual learners to answer questions and address misconceptions as they occur for each learner. Many of the disputes with the flipped learning model also concern the appropriateness of video-recorded direct instruction for all learners. However, the flipped classroom model is focused on delivering a more individualized learning experience for all students that promotes an open concept of direct instruction as it does the collaborative practice in the classroom. Direct instruction may not always need to be a video recording, and may even necessitate that alternatives be offered to students to accommodate their learning needs and preferred modalities, or even access to technology. Side: Pro (Benefits)
I think that a flipping some (but not all) lessons can be an effective classroom strategy. With well developed resources, a teacher can effectively differentiate a lesson by having different "hooks" to the lesson surrounding student interests. For example, if a flipped lesson was developed in EdPuzzle, students could watch one of three linked videos, each varied by student hobbies. This provides multiple entry points into a lesson for students to initially engage with the content, while saving valuable face to face time with the teacher for exploring the depths of the content. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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In theory the flipped classroom solves many differentiation challenges - time, resources, student guided learning. It could be a highly effective way to individualize learning and target all students based on readiness levels. However, I have concerns with the execution of a flipped classroom. I wonder how students would be supported at home with both accountability, learning and troubleshooting. Students have several distractions at home and might not be able to commit the time and focus needed to learn four different objectives from four different content areas on a nightly basis. Additionally, if students are not verbal processors and need to ask questions throughout modules or get lost in the technical maneuvering it could hinder their learning or have them fall behind. The latter concerns also shed light on developmental appropriateness. A flipped classroom might be effective with some of our older students who are at a stage where they can independently dedicate time to student led learning and can sustain new content on their own for longer periods of time. Younger students would probably need a blended approach. With smaller chunked learning goals at home and a mix of teacher and student driven instruction in class. Side: Con (Challenges)
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I definitely can see your point about students being different types of learners, but the beauty in this type of classroom is that the student creates and sets their own pace with the material. Even if the student doesn't fully understand the material at home, they now can come into the classroom knowing what to expect and with questions ready at hand for the teacher, which I think is a step towards understanding on its own. And like I stated in my PRO argument, it is generally easy to find readily available resources for students to reference if they still have questions and want to do some extra research at home, and these come in many forms, such a videos, podcasts, songs and charts, to best reach every type of learning style. Side: Pro (Benefits)
You present a good argument, and actually have highlighted one of my concerns that I've had about flipping my own classroom next year: accountability. This goes hand-in-hand, I think, with the other point you raised about developmental appropriateness. I have high schoolers, who I do feel comfortable with assigning some homework that they work on independently outside of the classroom, but at the same time, I realize that they are not college students or adults who you can trust more to do longer assignments at home. So what I have concluded is to make the outside of class work reasonable. And actually, in the infographic provided in our resources, which I have linked below, students are really only expected to watch about three videos/podcasts per week at 5-7 minutes each. Honestly, exercises and readings that are traditionally provided for homework take much longer than that. And then students have the ability to rewind, fast forward, seek out additional support, if needed. Accountability happens with guided questions even embedded in the video by using a tool like EDpuzzle, sometimes an interactive quiz, a quiz in class the next day, and so forth. Activities in class the following day can also hold kids accountable if they need to have watched the previous evening's video in order to begin and know what to do. Also, kids who have additional questions, comments or concerns can bring those to the teacher the next day-- and what's great, the teacher is actually freed up enough to guide and assist those students one-on-one or in small groups who have similar questions or misunderstandings. Further, with regard to developmental appropriateness, the second video that we watched by Bergman and Sams also explained what the elementary flipped classroom might look like, which is quite different than the high school classroom, but still maintains all the fundamentals. Essentially, the flipped classroom is less about "lecture videos at home and discussion/activities in school" (although it can be as one of its instructional iterations), and more about having individual learning opportunities, separate and distinct from whole group and small group ones.
Resources: Introduction to F-L-I-P (video) by Bergman and Sams. Retrieved at: http://www.kaltura.com/index.php/
Supporting Evidence:
The Flipped Classroom: Turning the traditional classroom on its head
(www.knewton.com)
Side: Pro (Benefits)
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While I certainly see you point, there is no reason why the at-home-work that students need to do in a flipped classroom should take any longer than the homework a student would receive in a typical classroom. If the work is a reading or a video, students can work at their own pace, which is often faster than a typical classroom, you can skip/speed up parts you already understand instead of having to sit through a redundant review lectured by your teacher. But - you're right - it does take a certain level of dedication from the students; just like so many students who get As in high school and fail college because they don't have the parental and teacher structure checking in on students as much. Side: Pro (Benefits)
While I do believe the flipped classroom offers a great deal of benefits to both students and teachers, I see it working better in theory than in practice. Bergmann and Sams (2012), in both their research and execution, found that students felt more in control of their own learning. While I agree with them, I mainly see the issue of accountability; in a flipped classroom, students have the responsibility to complete all lectures and readings beforehand, using the time in class to apply that information and assess their knowledge. Bergmann and Sams discuss one of Bergmann's students who took full advantage of the flipped classroom and got ahead on her coursework to accommodate her busy schedule (2012). I commend this student for being proactive and taking responsibility for her own learning, but I do not foresee it happening for every single student. I think there is a big motivating factor involved in flipped learning, and if students are not motivated - whether by themselves, by a parent/guardian, or a teacher - they will simply fall behind. When I took Statistics as a sophomore in college, my professor tried a flipped classroom model for the first time (it was my first experience with a flipped classroom as well), and while I personally felt self-motivated to stay on track with our assigned videos and online quizzes, I had peers who saw no point to the online portion of the class. As a result, these students fell behind when we met in class to discuss misconceptions and engage in activities. I felt frustrated with these students, and I could only imagine how my own students would feel if this happened in my classroom. My last issue with a flipped classroom has to do access. Teaching in an under-resourced district means that much of the online-access my students have occurs within the classroom. In one of my 7th grade classes, less than half of my 17 students have internet access at home. While, of course, modifications can be put in place (students could go to the town library or come before/after school to work on a chromebook), it just adds an additional challenge to implementing a flipped classroom. In a perfect world, a flipped classroom would work seamlessly. I have no doubts that teachers all over the nation (the world, even!) have been able to successfully fit the diverse needs of each student with a flipped classroom. I just don't see myself implementing it in my own classroom quite yet. References Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Why you should flip your classroom. In Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day (pp. 19–33). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/ Side: Con (Challenges)
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First off, thanks for taking the time to create an argument disputing the benefits of flipped learning, as I feel it was probably easier to write in support. I enjoyed your critique, and the concerns about effectiveness in practice and the bit about student motivation resonated with me and some of the challenges my flipped learning experiences in the past academic year presented. After being exposed to tons of new material through year and now resources in this course as well, I wonder if the flipped learning experiences you're describing hypothetically could just be better designed to engage students, capture motivation, and then the practice truly would be effective. For example, in one of the earlier sessions we were presented with the EdPuzzle tool, which I have been exploring more extensively for use in my final project. What if the lectures flipped for watching at home included simple EdPuzzle questions, not to test the student at home, but just show that they were mentally aware of the presentation as they were watching it and have captured the ideas in their head for the next day's lesson. Or perhaps the questions could be rigorous! For a reading assignment, would a Google classroom link to a form suffice? Students can have a grade of completion mark automatically for them writing responses to recall and critical thinking questions, or the questions can grade against a key or rubric. Certainly that increases the accountability for students, and if there are one or two at home media/reading assignments a week with a 1.5 hour after school "homework club" for internet access on Thursdays, I can certainly see flipped aspects of students learning working effectively. Side: Pro (Benefits)
I appreciate your argument because student motivation is one of the biggest limitations in education. As teachers, we can make content as engaging and fun as possible for our students but it is ultimately up to them to be intrinsically motivated to engage with the content in a deep and impactful way. I think it is possible to increase student motivation in a flipped classroom model by enforcing deadlines and have a clear and strict rubric for assessing. Perhaps there are some e-learning platforms that allows the teacher to see what students reviewed the materials. If this is out there, that should weaved into the student's final grade for the class like "class participation" is for many of our classes in graduate school. As for your comment on access, this is something I struggle with a lot. I truly wish our nation could offer free internet access to all and I am hoping that someday it will happen. I also hope that our public schools can someday provide computers to every student (Chromebooks are affordable and great for schoolwork). I think one of the coolest things about the flipped classroom model is that it can be implemented within a tradition face to face classroom. Activities and presentations can be given to students while you are in the room with them, but it gives you more time to walk around and give individualized instruction. By doing this, you also can follow the "no homework" model which is becoming more and more popular these days. Thsi way, for students that do not have access to a computer, it won't be an issue because all of their learning and practicing will take place in the classroom. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Hi Slouros, I appreciate your thoughtful and well thought out stance on the flipped classroom. I think the issue you brought up about access was important to consider but I think it is far more important to leverage the time being spent in the classroom for the implementation of higher order thinking. I know that the issue of not having internet access at home is an issue for students in my classes as well. It was also an issue for myself in high school. However, with the majority of students having mobile devices and possible access to study hall before or after school, this issue can be tackled. I found that it actually pushed me to be more motivated and focused because I knew this was not available for me at home. It will also allow the very same students who may have more obligations at home to have their time freed up because they would finish all homework before going home. This is something I think is a real trade off for students who may not have access to help at home. Thanks again! Sel Side: Pro (Benefits)
I appreciate your argument against using a flipped classroom, and I do understand the issues that arise from working in an under-resourced district. Although it may be difficult to have resources such as quality wifi and/ or technology, there are alternatives such as having scholars use their mobile devices such as their cellphones. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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The flipped classroom sounds like a great idea but I feel it is more difficult to execute effectively and efficiently. The flipped process relies too much on the readiness of learning and the self motivation of the students. I have a tough enough time getting students to watch a video in class, let alone expect them to watch videos for homework. Students who have not watched the lesson cannot participate in any classroom discussion with any enthusiasm. If they are sent to another part of the room to watch what they should have seen the night before, they are losing out on the benefit of learning from their fellow classmates. Besides, not every student is a visual learner and may not understand what they are watching. Who is there to answer their questions? It seems too much like the lecturing model that everyone seems to be shying away from. “The flipped classroom is built on a traditional model of teaching and learning. I lecture - you intake. While this method of teaching works for some learners, many others thrive with a model that takes a more constructivist approach.” (Nielsen, 2011, para 5) The same student who simply nods at the lecturer will watch with glazed-over eyes the same lecture on video - or fast forward to the end. This leads to the importance of the instructor knowing what they are doing when creating the flipped lessons. Creativity is at the forefront of a successful flipped plan; that, and the technological ability of the teacher to produce and distribute to all students the essential ideas of the lesson. The teacher must also organize the workflow timeline for students to adhere to. If these strategies and pre-work are not done correctly it will lead to a bad outcome for the learning experience. The teacher must be flexible enough to overcome the adversity of an environment made difficult by the lack of preparation by the majority of the students. Assessments will also be more difficult, since the students are learning at different times and at different levels. How can I assess them at the same time with the same test? Much of today’s focus is on the results of the standardized tests that are supposed to measure both student growth and teacher effectiveness. Most students are expected to learn at the same rate (whether or not this is realistic). Differentiation is one of my major focuses and the flipped classroom is geared to address this problem, yet the amount of time necessary to properly execute a truly individualized program can be prohibitive. Different venues for students of differing abilities with or without access to computers or the technology necessary to view the lesson can lead to many hours of preparing basically many lesson plans to meet each student’s needs. The flipped classroom just seems to be too teacher-centered, where the students are the receptors of the teacher’s knowledge. I also believe that the flipped classroom is better suited to both the sciences and mathematics than it is for my subject of literature. If I am assigning videos and lessons plans to watch at home, when are the students reading? References: Nielsen, L. (2011). Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from http:// Side: Con (Challenges)
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While I agree that a flipped classroom or learning experience does rely heavily on student engagement and self-reliance, I believe a strong class culture and an incentive system woven into the execution of one would help combat some of these worries. It's important to lose some control and push students to meet the challenge. It would definitely be difficult to introduce this to students and execute it, but I think will consistency and holding them accountable, i could prove to be a great resource. You also mentioned the additional work for the teacher in executing this. It is true that there will be a lot of upfront work but the long term benefits for student learning is beneficial. I also believe that while it does feel teacher-centered, it is definitely to the discretion of the teacher and how they optimize a flipped learning experience. For instance, instead of teachers using it as a way to provide all resources - it could be used in a way that allows students to research on a topic and provide the materials for other students - almost like a great drop box where students are collaborating together. You mentioned some genuine concerns and challenges with this pedagogical approach but the long term benefits for students, to me, feels like it outweighs the cons. Side: Con (Challenges)
Hi Stephen, your concerns about student engagement definitely resonated with me. This is something I struggled with all too often last year in my classroom. However, I believe that if flipped learning is used as a consistent extension to what is already practiced and learned during your class time, it could be really beneficial for students. It may take a bit more time on our part, but I believe the format of it will increase student interest over time. Also, you mention that students may become bored with simply viewing the videos. Flipped learning can consist of other modes of technology-based learning than just watching videos. A lot of flipped learning can often be interactive. This may spark and maintain student interest, especially that of lower level learners. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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Two major themes arise in the arguments against the flipped classroom: (1) accountability for learning and (2) appropriateness (whether developmentally or otherwise). In response to the need for greater accountability for learning outside the classroom – I believe that this is accomplished both through the development of positive classroom culture around independent learning – which may include significant skills development – as well as creating opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration both peer-to-peer and student-teacher. The flipped classroom challenges both teachers and students to reach beyond what is comfortable, the teacher will need to use some of the classroom time they have reclaimed by pushing direct instruction outside of class time to reorient learners in this new model. It will also be necessary to teach skills relevant to independent learning and study, to ensure that students are able to get the most out of the direct instruction they are engaging outside of class. In terms of accountability, the use of EdPuzzle to assess learner comprehension during and after direct instruction will be invaluable. Systems like EdPuzzle allow the teacher to include annotations that may further explain concepts and even provide students with additional and alternative sources for learning. Incorporating discussion elements based off of direct instruction through systems like Edmodo heighten the level of peer-accountability while also offering a potential source for clarifying and refining ideas. Teachers may either use the same system or use exclusively student-teacher communication tools, like Remind to support individual learners to answer questions and address misconceptions as they occur for each learner. Many of the disputes with the flipped learning model also concern the appropriateness of video-recorded direct instruction for all learners. However, the flipped classroom model is focused on delivering a more individualized learning experience for all students that promotes an open concept of direct instruction as it does the collaborative practice in the classroom. Direct instruction may not always need to be a video recording, and may even necessitate that alternatives be offered to students to accommodate their learning needs and preferred modalities, or even access to technology. Side: Pro (Benefits)
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