Flipped Learning:An E-learning solution for British Council Thailand’s PTC

1. What is it?2. What are the benefits?3. How can it be implemented?4. Further considerations

What is it? A flipped classroom is :

• A rearrangement of how and where learning takes place • A shift of focus from teacher-centred

instruction to student-centred learning • Direct instruction takes place online• Class time is dedicated to

collaborative, project-based, role-play learning activities

Traditional Classroom Lesson Structure:

1. Activating schemata2. Language in context3. Language focus4. Controlled practice5. Freer practice 6. Feedback

Flipped learning structure :

1. Activating schemata (online)2. Language in context (online)3. Language focus (online)4. Controlled practice (online)5. Freer practice (in class)6. Feedback (in class)

Traditional:

Present – Practice – Produce Flipped:

Present – Practice – Produce

Example lesson structure

Online:1. Reading text / video (with transcript) about John and how he got his job2. Learners write or add voice recording to specific forum area on how they

got their job and read and comment on another learner’s writing3. Learners watch a video of a recruitment consultancy meeting and

answer a few general comprehension questions4. Video is segmented into smaller sections and learners are asked

questions on the agree / disagree, opinion, and interruption language used

5. Transcript given of conversation with language specific questions6. Learners categorize phrases from conversation into agree / disagree,

opinion, and interruption7. Statement / response matching exercise8. Learners given job applicant profiles and potential jobs to read in

preparation for the class activity of matching candidates with profiles

9. Learners discuss in pairs the candidates and the jobs, explaining their opinions

10.Groups of 4-5 have a meeting to decide on their recommendations11.Groups present their decisions and reasons12.Teacher provides feedback on language use

In class:

What are the benefits?

1. Cost 2. Flexibility and convenience3. Student-centred continued learning4. Teacher and student engagement5. Differentiation, matching, modernity

Cost Online instruction does not necessitate a teacher to be present. Digital materials, once created can be used again and again but still generate revenue.

Example course scenario:

4 hours online study = 2 hours in-class activities with the teacher

The PTC can therefore offer what is essentially 6 hours of learning with only one third of the usual expense.

Flexibility and ConvenienceStudents can:• Potentially* study wherever and whenever

they want – at home / in work / on the bus • Use whatever devices they want

Clients do not need to: • Allocate as much time*• Free up rooms as often

Student-centred continued learning

Learners can:

• Learn at their own pace (good for mixed abilities groups)

• Adopt and/or find their own learning strategies• Be exposed to online resources to promote

continued learning and enhanced work skills (connectivism)

• Benefit from materials presented via a wide range of digital media that will appeal to a variety of learning styles

Teacher and student engagement

Research regarding flipped learning has shown that teachers: • Associated Flipped Learning

with improved student performance

• Improved student attitudes towards learning

• Experienced increased job satisfaction*

Teacher and student engagement70-80% of students agreed that they:

• Had greater opportunities to work at own pace • Had increased access to course material and

instruction• Had more choice in how they demonstrate

their learning • Viewed learning as a more active process • Were more likely to engage in critical thinking

and problem solving• Teachers were more likely to take into account

their interests, strengths, and weaknesses

Differentiation, Matching, Modernity

Flipped learning and supplemental* options:

• Provide differentiation from the great majority of the competition

• Match and potentially beat the products of a few with specific, intentional learning designs

• Promote the British Council as a modern service provider at the cutting edge of our field

How can we do it?

1. LMS Platforms2. Implementation

LMS Platforms

Learning

Management

System

LMS Platform options:

1. Paid LMS such as LearnDash

– Annual expense – Visually quite boring lesson pages

+ Specific user support+ Menu pages more attractive if theme is applied

LMS Platform options:

2. Open source platform (Moodle)

– Visually, very unengaging – little specific personal support

+ often offer great functionality+ vast innovative community to draw on

LMS Platform options:

3. Use authoring tools (Adobe Captivate or Articulate) to create lessons and the LMS to structure the course. – Likely greatest learningcurve

+ Better tailored and branded + Very flexible+ Far more attractive + ‘Learning objects’ can be imported into different platforms, courses, media

Implementation (ideal scenario)

1. Planning2. Content Creation3. Evaluation4. Training5. Rollout6. Target audience

Planning

1. Planning meetings - The wisdom of crowds and engendering a community of practice.

• Identification of learning objectives (skills, language points etc.)

• Discussion on approach • Lesson design

2. Storyboarding

Visual representations of learning design - screen by screen for clear objectives.

Content Creation1. Creation of materials in a variety of media achieved through mixture of delegation / collaboration:

• Reading texts• Videos• Audio recordings (variety of accents, men and women

important) • Quizzes• Games

Locally generated content equates to greater contextuality which is more effective and engaging and is in-keeping with BC’s efforts at cost reduction and sustainability.

2. Inputting into learning designs and course structure on LMS.

Evaluation

Evaluation would incorporate testing across three areas:

1. Technical evaluation

• Performance - error identification and correction• Robustness – usability evaluation across devices,

operating systems, browsers and with assistive technologies (screen readers)

2. Functional evaluation

• End-user evaluation – ease of use, intuitiveness

3. Pedagogic evaluation

• Subject matter expert evaluation (ELT professionals)• Qualitative and a quantitative surveys to measure the

success of the content from the learners perspectives

Training

Sales – Features / Advantages / Benefits

Admin – Logins / Overview

Teachers – Product awareness / lesson fit / pedagogy / Functionality

Clients & Students – Logins / Overview / Simulation videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe00vDI7yvk

Rollout

• Courses can be made available as and when they are individually completed.

• There is no need to wait for a full catalogue of flipped learning courses.

• The choices of the courses that are created and therefore ready for clients can be decided according to business requirements / or potential for uptake.

Target ClientsFlipped learning courses can be made available to any prospective clients. However, there are some considerations:

• IT competence of learners• Access to devices • Learners’ expectations / scepticism of new

methods

Ideal client candidates would likely:

• Use computers on a daily basis• Consist of a younger, more dynamic, IT savvy

workforce

Companies such as Agoda, Asiarooms, Dtac, True in Thailand. This product represents an effective learning solution for a number of clients that have either perceived BC as beyond their budget or are attracted by blended learning’s convenience and methodology.

Further Considerations

Branding – some degree of cross-departmental collaboration will be required to ensure branding is accurate etc.

Integration with existing website – as above, there will need to be communication with the responsible parties. One additional peripheral benefit can be an enhancement of the PTC’s web presence in relation to SEO.

Further Considerations

Software – What software (Captivate 8, Storyline) does the British Council already have at its disposal?

Learner expectations – With the British Council’s prestigious reputation, there will be an expectation for highly interactive and attractive content. If this gets done, it should be done well, and doing it well is within our capabilities.

To conclude….

Technology is resulting in radical changes in how learning is facilitated by providers and undertaken by learners.

Wall Street has shown the appetite is there for blended learning interactions. Business consultancies in Bangkok are applying this method.

We have the talent, the resources, and the need. This product can potentially give us a great competitive edge and ensure we are at the forefront of how learning provision is changing.

Any (more) questions?