The flipped classroom
The flipped classroom is very much about moving away from
teacher directed learning in big spaces to more self-directed learning in the
individual learning space. It is not on-line learning but opportunity
throughout the learning unit to engage the learning material individually
before returning to class to discuss any questions or concerns that came out of
the learning.
A big element of the
flipped classroom is REFLECTION which is central to good pedagogical practice
and higher order thinking. Research (Butler & Winne, 1995 in Marzano) notes
asking students to identify and record their confusion about content enhances
their learning. This is particularly relevant after critical-input experiences.
It is important for helping students to effectively interact with new knowledge
and actively process the content.
Effective flips require careful preparation. This should not
be rocket science from the point of view that every lesson and unit of work requires
careful preparation. In fact studies (Haycock 1998; Marzano 2003; Nye,
Konstantopoulos & Hedges 2004 in Marzano) on how effective schools make substantial
differences in the achievement of students noted one most influential component
and that was the individual teachers within the school. Effective teachers used
effective instructional strategies, effective classroom management strategies
and effective classroom curriculum design.
Flipped is not synonymous for video teaching. In a textiles
environment it may be a case of trying different production methods to come to
a conclusion about an issue
A Flipped classroom also requires effective instructional
strategies (for a flexible learning environment), effective classroom
management strategies (shift in learning culture) and effective classroom
curriculum design (intentional content, videoed and prepared)
The downside to this style of teaching and learning is the
loss of face-to face in the immediacy of the experience and a potential reliance
on technology for the delivery of on-line video’s. In the event of teachers
sending home written material, the difficulty lies with students who are poor
readers with corresponding difficulty comprehending the material. The exponential impact of this scenario is
the student loss of interest and not engaging the content and subsequently
withdrawing from class discussion.
However, the positive to this scenario is the teacher may
find their time is devoted to the students who are struggling and the proactive
learners continue learning in a self-directed manner.
The emphasis is to move away from “passive” learning and
information giving to engaging, testing and questioning knowledge. Such skills
are in line with the 18 key elements Marzano identifies as important for
engaging content – all of which can be accommodated in a flipped classroom.
An important consideration is the year level/age group ability
to be disciplined and have the skills to engage material and question. In part this
require some higher order thinking skills to identify the critical information
and ability to engage the material with any one of the thinking hats to be
ready for the next class and have an informed discussion about the material.
From this point of view, not every class would be a flipped class. Rather in
the big scheme of intentional planning the teacher would need to identify the
timing of the flipped lessons.
As a student myself engaging a textile curriculum it has
been a challenging task on-line. The self-directed learning has been invaluable
but the lack of face-to-face has made it difficult to gauge if my learning is
still on track. The flipped classroom seems a happy in-between balance of self-directed
learning and teacher led for the students who have the ability to engage this
new culture of learning.
While research is limited on the effectiveness of flipped
learning, some relevant factors have been identified for its benefits. These
include effectiveness from:
- active learning
- peer tutoring
- accommodation of diverse learners
I can see that these elements are relevant to a textiles
classroom particularly engaging a critical enquiry assessment approach. Time in
class could be utilised well by the teacher to support students who need extra
help and for students with more diverse needs provided the curriculum and
resources were well planned.
References
Jon Bergmann, Jerry Overmyer and Brett Wilie (2003) The flipped class: Myth vs Reality in The Daily Riff viewed on http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-flipped-class-conversation-
689.php
Marzano, J (2007)The Art & Science of Teaching Heatherton, Australia
http://www.flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/VA01923112/Centricity/Domain/41/LitReview_FlippedLearning.pdf
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