"Flipping the Classroom" Summary
In recent years, more and more teachers have begun to question the traditional classroom models of direct instruction, that have become of the most guarded sacred cows in the modern educational system. Whether perpetuated by the belief that teachers, serving as the experts, should impart their knowledge to their students through lecture, or the traditional notion that the most orderly, and thus productive, classrooms are the ones where teachers talk and students listen, the method of direct instruction, the direct instruction model is one that consistently creeps into the classroom of even the most innovative teachers.Cynthia Brame, Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, in her article "Flipping the Classroom" outlines a fairly new instructional strategy designed to improve student outcomes by turning the direct instruction method on its head.
According to Brame (2013), the flipped classroom is rooted in a student-centered instructional strategy proposed by Barbara Walvoord and Virginia Johnson Anderson in their book Effective Grading. The basis behind the flipped classroom is that students are initially exposed to new material outside of class and they process that new information with the classmates and teacher in class (Brame 2013). Based on Bloom's Taxonomy, this approach allows students to complete the more simplistic tasks of understanding and remembering the new information on their own, while providing the benefit of peer interaction and teacher guidance on the more challenging tasks of applying, analyzing, and evaluating what they have learned (Brame 2013).
The flipped classroom grew out of two related instructional approaches introduced in the early 2000 called the inverted classroom and peer instruction (Brame 2013). The inverted classroom introduced the idea of first-exposure learning outside of class and peer instruction espoused the benefits of working with classmates to deepen understanding of new information (Brame 2013).
According to Brame (2013), there is empirical evidence the that flipped classroom is more effective than traditional, teacher-centered instructional approaches. The article cites several examples in which students in introductory college level courses, were either exposed to traditional lecture-style instructional methods or the flipped classroom format (Brame 2013). In each circumstance, those students that participated in the flipped classroom demonstrated significant learning gains over those students in the traditional classrooms (Brame 2013).
Ultimately, to be effectively implemented, the flipped classroom must include four key components (Brame 2013) The first component is that students must be introduced to new information outside of the classroom. Whether through reading an article, watching a YouTube video, or completing an online tutorial, the students must come to class with a basic understanding of the concept to be learned. The second key component is some type of incentive for students to complete the activity beforehand (i.e. a simple completion grade) to ensure that students come to class prepared. The third component is a method for assessing student understanding. This could be a brief quiz at the start of class or a bell-ringer activity in which students answer short questions about the material. The fourth and final component is an opportunity for students to engage in higher-level cognitive activities to further their understanding of the material. Students must be able to work together to use their shared knowledge of the topic to deepen their understanding (Brame 2013).
Reflection
In my search to find exciting and engaging ways to use technology in my classroom, I stumbled upon this article on the flipped classroom. Initially, I felt that it may not be too relevant to my research, but after reading it, I was motivated to rethink my approach. I realized that I was being too narrow with my thinking by only searching for ways to use technology in my classroom. In reading this article, I realized that there are other effective ways for students to use technology outside of class.While this flipped classroom approach does not require the use of technology, it is not difficult to see how this instructional method could effectively integrate many of the current technology resources available. With the seemingly endless supply of information on the web, I think it would be easy to find interesting and unique options to introduce new concepts to my students.
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