Introduction to the Flipped Learning Model

Video Transcription

Hello, and thank you for joining me today to discuss introduction to the flipped learning model. During today's tutorial, we will be able to answer the following essential questions.

What is the flipped learning model? What are the benefits of using the flipped learning model? And what are some challenges of the flipped learning model?

To begin, what exactly is the flipped learning model? According to the flipped learning network, flipped learning is 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.

So let's break down this definition from the flipped learning network and talk about what exactly it means. So when they're talking about a pedagogical approach, remember that pedagogy is our tool bag for delivering the content. It's when that direct instruction moves from being taught to the group to being taught to the individual.

And it has a lot to do with the learning space or the group space. So when direct instruction is transferred from group to individual, the group space changes. And that's really where the teacher is going to act more as a facilitator and a guide, and is going to engage the students to creatively tackle what they learn through direct instruction through applying it.

So what does a flipped classroom look like exactly? Well, a couple things are different in a flipped classroom than they are in a traditional classroom. And one thing is the role of homework.

So traditionally, homework would be given to expand on the content knowledge that was delivered in class. So the direct instruction, which is where the content knowledge is taking place, would be occurring within the classroom in a group setting.

And that's different from the flipped classroom. It's instead going to be what the students are doing individually for homework. So in class, the students and teachers are interactively engaging with the materials. And like I said earlier, the homework becomes how the students are getting the content knowledge.

So a flipped classroom really is going to rely a lot on technology. This has to do with how the teacher is going to deliver the content. There's going to be online tutorials and videos and podcasts or other electronic presentations.

And then in class when the kids are together as a group, that's when they're going to be doing the interactive learning. This sort of classroom also really lends itself to problem-based learning.

There are obviously with any approach benefits and challenges. A couple of the benefits of a flipped classroom is that students might appreciate their classroom time more because there's no lecture. And we were all students once. I'm sure we can remember sometimes we do have that really engaging teacher, but for the most part lectures are pretty boring. So there's going to be more student appreciation.

It also really lends itself to differentiation because when the teacher is delivering the content level through homework on an individualized basis, they can play up to the student's strengths and weaknesses. And they might be able to evaluate that one student is a verbal learner versus a student who does well reading. And so the way that they both deliver the content and that they explore the content with their classmates is going to change. And the teacher will actually be able to free up a little bit of time to really think of creative lessons to appeal to this differentiation.

It's also really good if you're in a school with nontraditional students who are maybe absent a lot due to unforeseen circumstances because students can actually catch up easily. So this affects makeup.

And then it also leads to student ownership because they have control over their learning. And they actually have control over when do I review the content. So if they're studying for some sort of performance assessment that's going to take place the next day, they don't have to rely on emailing the teacher. They have the content in front of them at home, because that's where the content is delivered.

As with anything, though, there's also some challenges. One challenge is the access challenge. What if not all of my students have technology at home to access these online tutorials that I'm making?

We have to find a way around that. Is this going to be taking place in a one-to-one classroom? Is this going to be a school that asks students to bring their own devices? How can we address those students who are in our flipped classroom but don't have access to the technology? We still have to make things equitable.

Or what if I have a student who doesn't have internet at home but has a laptop? Maybe a solution would be putting the tutorials on a flash drive for him or her.

Another big challenge is trust. The teacher really has to give a leap of faith that the students are going to review or go over the material at home, the content at home, so that the next day the classroom conversations can be effective and they can continue on with their problem-based learning.

Let's take a minute really quickly to reflect on what we've talked about. What do you think is the most important benefit of flipped learning? And do you think flipped learning would work for your students? Why or why not?

To review, today we talked about what the flipped learning model is. And we also talked about what are the benefits of using the flipped learning model. Lastly, we addressed the challenges of the flipped learning model.

For more information on how to apply what you learned in this video, please view the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. The Additional Resources section includes hyperlinks useful for applications of the course material, including a brief description of each resource.

Thank you for joining me, and happy teaching.