The Flipped Classroom, part 2

Given that the topic of the flipped classroom provides for a rather long discussion, I decided to divide it into two separate blog posts. Whereas the first blog post focused on exploring a brief definition of the flipped classroom and reflecting on the first aspect of at-home instruction through videos or other interactive means, this post will focus on the second aspect, activities that are done in the classroom. At the end, I’ll also consider some advantages and disadvantages of the flipped classroom approach, both for teachers and students. So, without further ado, let’s dive back in.

I alluded briefly in my last post that the context of the pandemic and the enforced remote learning that accompanied it has brought us closer to elements of a flipped classroom. While I believe this is true, I also believe that it’s important to clarify that perhaps the most significant aspect of the flipped classroom is the learning and meaningful interaction that happens among the students within the classroom. Therefore, we can say that there is an obligatory presential element to the flipped classroom, so while the pandemic has increased our capacity for learning at home through technology, it’s not possible to have a true flipped classroom without being able to set foot in a physical classroom like space. As Bishop and Verleger (2013) indicate, one of the defining elements of the flipped classroom is a component that “requires human interaction (in-class activities)” and that, without this interaction, “the flipped classroom simply does not exist” (4.5 active learning section, para. 2).

In terms of the flipped classroom, the in-class activities are meant to provide an extension and application of the concepts or ideas that students should have learned or acquired previously at home. However, to be most effective, these in-class activities should have a different cognitive focus than the activities done outside of class. Mohan (2018), who in her article offers a useful set of ideas and rationale for applying a flipped classroom approach in a foreign language classroom, explains that a flipped classroom model should be accompanied by a corresponding flip in Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning, Traditionally, we tend to devote a large portion of class time to less demanding cognitive skills, such as remembering and understanding content, and a significantly smaller portion of time on more demanding cognitive skills, such as creating and evaluating, that actually lead to longer-lasting learning.

Within a flipped classroom model, she argues, learning the content at home can activate the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, leaving much more time in the classroom to engage students in higher-order thinking skills that deepen their grasp on the target material. Activities in the classroom, therefore, should focus on “group work, authentic communicative tasks, peer instruction, interpretation of information to create new meaning, research and inquiry, [and] problem-based learning” (Mohan, 2018, p. 4). These more complex tasks, which are traditionally done at home with limited support from the teacher (who doesn’t remember struggling with an essay or group project back in their high school days?), are, under the flipped classroom model, able to be done in class, with the teacher acting as a “facilitator, guide, sounding board, or when needed, as content expert providing assistance and feedback” (Mohan, 2018, p. 4).

Aside from the obvious benefit of increased teacher support, this practice also has some added benefits, such as making group projects easier to coordinate and complete, as well as placing less stress on the students to complete lengthy or time-consuming assignments outside of class. The at-home learning portion of the flipped classroom should in general require less time to complete than the in-classroom portion, given that the at-home activities should focus on simpler cognitive tasks, which would ideally free up some of the students’ time outside of school to spend leisure time with family or friends, or pursue hobbies or sports according to their interests. In the hustle and bustle of the school year, and particularly under the pressure of completing the required elements of the curriculum, I think it can be quite difficult for teachers to remember that students do have lives outside of the classroom and that they do need time to just be teenagers. Therefore, a flipped classroom offers a possible method of covering the content in a way that could also give more respect to the students’ personal time, which should hopefully lead to increased satisfaction and motivation in school.

During this first semester, we studied the flipped classroom in the Active Methodologies module of our English didactics course. While the flipped classroom itself is considered an active method, it is easy to see from Mohan’s suggested elements for in-class activities that the flipped classroom also provides space to mix and match other active methodologies in the classroom. Bishop and Verleger (2013) explore this in greater depth in their survey of flipped classroom research, in which they broadly outline the basic components for peer-assisted, collaborative, cooperative, and problem-based learning. These types of learning share the key element of being student-centered, placing a higher emphasis on the students’ roles and autonomies in the classroom and moving as far from teacher-led lectures as possible. According to these authors, it is critical that teachers incorporate different elements of these types of learning into their in-class activities because their inclusion is key in an effective implementation of the flipped classroom. Indeed, in one study that examined using a flipped classroom approach, students in the flipped classroom experimental group spent their class time developing and then presenting group presentations on the topic under study (Cabi, 2018). Though the study doesn’t address the specific content of the presentations, it’s reasonable to assume that assignment naturally incorporated elements of both cooperative and problem-based learning, as the students had to work together to complete a specific task.

To me as a teacher, the flipped classroom pairs most easily with problem-based or task-based learning. In working to solve a problem or complete a given task, students are generally forced to analyze or evaluate information in pursuit of solutions, both of which activate higher-order cognitive levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy. It is relatively simple to incorporate an element of teamwork and collaboration into these tasks, which also help develop students’ social skills and autonomy as they identify what needs to be accomplished and set expectations for who is responsible for each step. This kind of approach is the one that I hope to implement with my students during my student teaching period. While I still don’t know the details of the project they will have to complete, I know it will involve using a piece of technology to produce a product related to US culture.

To flip the classroom, my general plan is to provide them with videos or narrative PowerPoints explaining the cultural content and information they need to understand the assignment, as well as video tutorials ­­– which I will either outsource and annotate through EdModo or create myself ­– teaching them how to use whichever technological tool they need. The students will then be able to use the full 50 minutes (minus time for clarifications and questions) of their weekly class period to work together on their assignment. During this time, I’ll be able to walk around to observe their progress, offer suggestions, and address questions and difficulties in real-time. My hope and expectation is that organizing the class this way will make the experience more enjoyable and less stressful for the students

References

Bishop, J. L. & Verleger, M. A. (2013). The Flipped Classroom: A survey of the research. Paper presented at the 120th American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition. Atlanta.

Cabi, E. (2018). The Impact of the Flipped Classroom Model on Students' Academic Achievement. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 19(3). [PDF document] https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i3.3482

Mohan, D. (2018). Flipped classroom, flipped teaching and flipped learning in the foreign/second language post-secondary classroom. Nouvelle Revue Synergies Canada (11), 1-12. DOI:10.21083/nrsc.v0i11.4016.