Flipped Classes

The basic idea behind the flipped or inverted classroom is to have your students engage with materials in advance of class, and then to use class time as a space to delve deeper into the ideas, address student questions or concerns about materials, and create a richer, more user-centered learning experience. This is often achieved by having students read or work through materials in advance of class--a model we are now increasingly familiar with thanks to pre-recorded pandemic class lectures on Zoom--and then delving into the substance of those lectures in person later. This model tries to allow students more time to wrestle with and digest materials in advance of class sessions, and then to use the class time for added learning.

Ultimately, the flipped classroom model asks us to think about what is the best use of our face-to-face time with students and to consider ways to restructure the learning process so that we can maximize our time helping students think through class materials, conceptual problems, and questions in a more engaged and focused way.

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• RESEARCH

  Examine selected research on flipped classes: 

  Developing Flipped Problem-Based Lessons for a Blended Learning Environment. Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/developing-flipped-problem-based-lessons-for-a-blended-learning-environment.html(opens in new window)

  Brame, C. J. (2013). Flipping the classroom. Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/(opens in new window)

  Lage, M. J., Platt, G. J., & Treglia, M. (2000). Inverting the classroom: A gateway to creating an inclusive learning environment. The journal of economic education, 31(1), 30-43.

  A Beginner’s Guide to the Flipped Classroom. Power School. https://www.powerschool.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-the-flipped-classroom/(opens in new window)

  (2017, December 7). 12 Resources on Flipped Learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://www.ascd.org/blogs/12-resources-on-flipped-learning(opens in new window)

  Bergmann, J. (2014, November 18). Flipped-Learning Toolkit: 5 Steps for Formative Assessment. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-steps-formative-assessment-jon-bergmann(opens in new window)

  Arfstrom, K. M. (2014). What’s the difference between a flipped classroom and flipped learning? EdTech Focus On k-12 Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/07/whats-difference-between-flipped-classroom-and-flipped-learning(opens in new window)

  Roberts, M. M. (2014). Instructional Gymnastics 101: What I Learned from My Year in a Flipped Classroom.  Academia.edu. 
  https://www.academia.edu/6897665/Instructional_Gymnastics_101_What_I_Learned_from_My_Year_in_a_Flipped_Classroom

  Alvarez, B. (2012). Flipping the classroom: Homework in class, lessons at home. The Education Digest, 77(8), 18.

  Mazur, E. (2009). Farewell, lecture?. Science, 323(5910), 50-51. https://mazur.harvard.edu/files/mazur/files/rep_635.pdf (PDF)

  Berrett, D. (2012). How ‘flipping’the classroom can improve the traditional lecture. The chronicle of higher education, 12(19), 1-3. https://commons.marymount.edu/instructingonline/wp-content/uploads/sites/135/2013/07/Flipping-The-Chronicle.pdf (PDF)

  Sparks, R. J. (2013). Flipping the Classroom: An Empirical Study Examining Student Learning. Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 9(2), 65-70. 

• APPLICATION

  Ready to apply a flipped class model to your teaching? Here are some ideas and strategies to get you started:

  One of the first important steps before trying to do a flipped classroom is deciding what materials you want students to engage with outside of/before class, and what you want them to do in class, and to then create a class structure that supports this model. This might include developing short assessment quizzes(opens in new window), using concept tests(opens in new window), or other class activities which you can do at the beginning of class. These forms of assessment will help identify areas where students need more engagement with materials and will help you decide what to focus on during in-person class sessions. 

  If you have access to classroom clickers (iClicker, etc) or other electronic feedback systems, this can be one way to gather quick student feedback and create more class engagement. Another option is to create a simple online quiz using platforms like Kahoot(opens in new window) or Quizizz(opens in new window) to do quick tests of student knowledge.

  Another important aspect of the flipped classroom is ensuring space for students to demonstrate and apply what they have studied in advance, and for certain areas of study, this can productively be done using role plays, simulations, group exercises, and similar group problem solving activities in class, so that student engagement and interaction is maximized. Here are a handful of possible ideas(opens in new window) to try in your class.

  Faculty may also want to think about incentives for doing work in advance, such as low point quizzes or short writing assignments to ensure students do the work before.