Hi, Andrew -

Thanks for your post. In my post I argued in favor of flipped learning, but acknowledged the technology-inequity issue.

You said you believe schools should minimize the amount of homework assigned. Wouldn't flipped learning in a way address concerns about laborious homework? Students would simply be introduced to the lesson material via videotaped lessons/lectures viewed at home. The real time-consuming struggling with the material -- as students collaborate, create, and synthesize -- would happen in class, with the helpful guidance of the nearby teacher. Wouldn't it be better to have the students doing that latter-stage work with your input, scaffolding, and correction -- instead of leaving it for them to finish at home?

Thanks,

Emelie Rutherford (DCPS, 10th-grade ELA)

Brooke,

I agree, and this argument is one of the reasons I vacillated when trying to decide which side of the debate I would take. I don't know how to counter this other than having a grading system that makes the at-home work unavoidable.

Emelie

Hi, everyone –

Flipped learning is a truly effective instructional strategy that helps spur higher-order thinking of students who take charge of their learning. While I think flipped learning would be difficult to implement for a teacher like me -- who teaches 10th-grade special-education students who may not receive needed extra support when working at home (and who may not have computers at home), who has to heed the pre-determined grade-level curriculum fairly closely, and who works with co-teachers for some classes -- it nonetheless is a powerful way to deliver instruction.

For reference sake, the Flipped Learning Network defines flipped learning as “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.” This network has four pillars for flipped learning: flexible environment, learning culture, intentional content, and professional educator (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). EDUCAUSE, meanwhile, offers a simple definition of a flipped classroom, saying: “the term is widely used to describe almost any class structure that provides prerecorded lectures followed by in-class exercises (EDUCAUSE, 2012).”

Yes, flipped learning is not easy to implement. “Although the idea is straightforward, an effective flip requires careful preparation,” EDUCAUSE acknowledges. “Recording lectures requires effort and time on the part of faculty, and out-of-class and in-class elements must be carefully integrated for students to understand the model and be motivated to prepare for class. As a result, introducing a flip can mean additional work and may require new skills for the instructor, although this learning curve could be mitigated by entering the model slowly.”

But weigh these (and other) drawbacks of flipped learning against its benefits: students can learn “lecture” material better by pausing and rewinding videos watched out of class (which helps considering research shows learners often become distracted after 10 minutes of receiving new material); class time is freed for students to work in groups/experiment and for teachers to correct students’ errors in thinking/analysis (and give struggling students extra support); and students collaborate and communicate with each other (rather than primarily with the teacher) about knowledge to which they have direct access (Goodwin et al, 2013). As EDUCAUSE puts it: “What the flip does particularly well is to bring about a distinctive shift in priorities -- from merely covering material to working toward mastery of it (EDUCAUSE, 2012).”

When deciding whether I would write this post in favor of or against flipped learning, I was swayed by the following statement by proponents Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, both teachers: “We have purposely tried to make our classes places where students carry out meaningful activities instead of completing busywork. When we respect our students in this way, they usually respond. They begin to realize -- and for some it takes time -- that we are here to guide them in their learning instead of being authoritative pedagogues (Bergman et al, 2012).” I never want to be an authoritative pedagogue.

Thanks!

Emelie Rutherford

References:

Flipped Learning Network. (2014). What is flipped learning? The four pillars of F-L-I-P. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FLIPhandoutFNL_Web.pdf

EDUCAUSE. (2012). Things you should know about… flipped classrooms. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2012/2/eli7081-pdf.pdf

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

Goodwin, B., & Miller, K. (2013). Research says/evidence on flipped classrooms is still coming in. Technology-Rich Learning, 70, 78–80. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/Evidence-on-Flipped-Classrooms-Is-Still- Coming-In.aspx