What is a flipped classroom?
A flipped classroom is a model in which lectures and content is viewed online at home, whilst homework elements of a course is done in the classroom. It is an offspring from blended learning that has proven to lead to better learner results.
How it works?
With the vast technology available, instructors have a huge variety of tools to use to create a flipped classroom. A common flipped classroom involves students watching short 5-7minute video lectures at home, at their own pace. Students can re-watch lectures in order to fully understand concepts and can communicate with peers and teachers through online tools such as forums. During the following classroom session, instructors or teachers facilitate concepts through discussions and activities that allow students to collaborate, create and practice what they have learnt from the video lectures.
Benefits of flipped classrooms
1. Active learning and social engagement
Students are actively involved in activities and class discussions or experiments. This active learning leads to social engagement amongst students in class as well as on online platforms, forums and discussions.
2. Social interaction
Technology today defines a sharing community, where people are constantly interacting with one another. Flipped classrooms allows the use of social interactions both online and face-to-face.
3. Student autonomy
Students now have control of their learning. They have autonomy to decide when they want to learn and can repeat the videos in order to understand the concepts better.
4. A flipped classroom turns a classroom session into an experimental environment.
5. Superior use of classroom time & Feedback
Instructors or teachers can use class time to detect errors in understanding and thinking which leads to instant student feedback. Teachers can assist students and explain difficult concepts.
6. Alleviate frustrations
A flipped classroom can alleviate student frustrations. Students generally get frustrated when they don’t understand their homework and tend to leave activities incomplete. Working on problems and activities in class minimises this problem.
Like all learning models, the flipped classroom requires careful preparation. But if done correctly, it may just be the answer to better student engagement, sharing and knowledge learning.
References:
- Flipped classroom infographic – http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/
- Educause: 7 Things you should know about…Flipped classrooms. https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7081.pdf
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