Instructional Resources

Flipped Classroom

What is a “flipped classroom” and why would I use this strategy in a course?

This resource will help you become familiar with the term ‘flipped classroom’ and consider how to use it as an instructional strategy in your class.

Flipped classrooms are a pedagogical approach in which the classroom lecture time is replaced by learning activities. It is based on the premise that “students are willing and capable of making substantial preparation before coming to class [or] lab in order to maximize efficiency of student-instructor contact time” (Paredes et al., 2010, p. 186).

Roles of Instructor and Students

Think about what your students will do prior to, during, and after the virtual class session; as well as what you will be doing to facilitate learning.

Student Role Instructor Role
Synchronous
  • Increased responsibility for learning
  • Doing, observing, and reflecting
  • Monitoring and evaluating their progress
  • Facilitator and mentor
  • Introducing content and helping students make sense of it
  • Assessing learning and providing feedback
Asynchronous
  • Preparing for synchronous session
  • Completing individual and group
    • work
    • activities
    • assessments
  • Summarizing concepts
  • Reflecting on learning, thinking about what they’re doing
  • Establishing approaches to introduce topics and concepts prior to synchronous sessions
  • Designing opportunities for students to continue applying and reflecting on what they are doing
  • Facilitating and assessing student understanding

What are the additional benefits of a flipped classroom?

You may ask yourself, “What are the benefits of a flipped classroom?” Flipped classrooms:

  • shift to students taking greater responsibility for learning and instructor becomes more of a facilitator and mentor
  • see the instructor as still being key as they’re needed to clarify material, guide students, facilitate in-class activities, and assess student learning
  • maximize efficiency of student-instructor contact time
  • provide opportunities for instructor to identify what students know and decide how best to use in-class time; clarify material, guide students, facilitate in-class activities, and assess student learning
  • involve ‘Active Learning’ wherein students “do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing” (Butt, p. 34) and receive feedback on performance in these activities
  • help instructors identify what students know and decide if the pace can be accelerated
  • lead to a deeper approach of learning wherein the course is student-centered (Marton & Säljö, 1976, in Butt, p. 34)
  • shift the relationship among students themselves (Neshyba, 2013, p. 11, A Guide to the Flipped Classroom)
  • provide an incentive for students to prepare for class and be more active learners
  • provide students with positive learning experiences (Bishop & Verleger, 2013, in Butt, p. 35)
  • make it possible to do hands-on projects for which the course previously never had time (Mangan, 2013, p. 9, A Guide to the Flipped Classroom)
  • create opportunities for problem-solving and personalized interaction
  • accommodate multiple learning styles
  • allow time for reflection
  • provide greater gains in conceptual understanding
  • involve a form of mastery learning, like in a Community of Practice (CoP)

How to Get Started

Enter the process slowly, maybe one class period per week or per module; or simply continue with lecture but stop intermittently to quiz and give feedback on students’ understanding of the concept. Whatever method used, you still need to start by defining the underlying concepts to be taught, the learning outcomes and their associated assessments. Just remember to plan how the learning time is to be used. Contact an Instructional Designer to discuss further.

References

Resource created by: Pam P., & Jane C.

Originally Published: April 15, 2019

Last Updated: September 10, 2024

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