1- Flipped Learning Network

Ready to flip?

Often called backwards learning, inverted classrooms or reversed learning, flipped

classrooms is an educational concept characterized by a shift in teachers and

students’ role in the learning process. Teachers become instructors, coaches or

advisors; and learn to surrender the traditional teaching structure and organization,

opening space to a flexible learning environment. In a flipped classroom, students are

encouraged to pursue individual inquiry, develop collaborative efforts, and take

ownership of their learning.

The flipped classroom brings great instructional benefits to all students -from the

student with cognitive disability who struggles with reading and comprehension to the

gifted student with physical disabilities who is ahead of the curve but bored. A flipped

classroom offers a 24/7 self-paced access to content, extra time for remedial

instruction and a quasi-tutoring environment. Flipped classroom also expands students’

access to extra content, opening up new avenues for the development of academic

and intellectual interests.

Origins

In 2007, Chemistry teachers Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams were struggling with

student absenteeism at a Colorado rural school. They needed an alternative way to

deliver content and provide students with at-home opportunities to go over missed

content. They started narrating and recording PowerPoint Presentation, storing them in

flash drives or DVDs and giving them to the absent students. Soon they were using

capture software and posting the videos on YouTube. Thus the original flipped

classroom was born.

The real flipping however did not occur until the classroom organizational structure

was changed, and classroom time became a time for content discussions, project

development and problem solving. Flipping happened when teachers became

instructors and coaches and students understood the expectations understood the

change in the teacher’s and student’s role in the learning process and took ownership

of their own learning.

What is flipping? (1)

Founders of the flipped concept, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, define flipped

learning as “A pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the

group learning space to the individual group learning space. The resulting group

learning is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the

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educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the

subject matter.”

Conceptually, the flipped classroom is framed by 4 contextual factors:

1- Flexible environment: allows for a variety of learning styles

2- Learning culture: learner-centered approach requires students to be actively

involved in knowledge construction

3- Intentional content: learners owns the learning process by developing

conceptual understanding and procedural fluency

4- Professional Educator: reflective praxis becomes essential tool in the

development of “in the moment” feedback; allows students space to be in

control of their learning while remaining the guiding factor.

Ways to a Flipped classroom

1- Uses of Hybrid instructional design for teaching and learning. A hybrid design

uses both face-to-face and distance learning (i.e. videos and digital

presentations) to promote active learning and student engagement. At home,

students watch teacher prepared video lectures and in the classroom they

engage in content discussions and work on exercises. Classroom work is thus

focused on expanding students’ academic and intellectual interests,

developing content mastery, testing skills in applying knowledge, and hands-on

activities.

2- Uses of Co-learning philosophy (Brantmeyer, 1996). Participatory learning is at

the heart of co-learning since it requires teachers to unlearn concepts of

hierarchical authority, learn to relinquish control of the learning process, and

position themselves as participants of a participatory learning process. As co-

learners, students need to learn to own the learning process and the idea that

all knowledge is valued and that they can learn from teachers and from each

other.

3- Uses UDL Principles. The UDL framework provides educators with instructional

design principles, a framework for the creation and development of instructional

goals, materials and assessments. The UDL framework requires teachers to

customize content according to students’ needs; and offers students alternative

ways to access content and demonstrate content mastery.

Advantages of flipping

Flipping a classroom has great instructional and educational benefits for both students

and teachers.

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For students, the biggest advantage is the 24/7 access to content

1- Student control of time to view concepts, and extra time for reviewing,

comprehension and understanding

For teachers, flipping allows classroom focus to be on

1- Development of true differentiation of an inclusive classroom environment

2- students’ academic and intellectual needs

3- development of collaborative work and development of learning relationships

between students, and

4- use of alternative instructional strategies and UDL principles for content delivery

and knowledge acquisition.

For parents, the flipping classroom offers a “peek” at how content is delivered, variety

assessments made available and the possibilities for demonstration of content

acquisition.

Disadvantages of flipping

For students, the biggest disadvantage of a flipped classroom method is the digital

divide:

1- Not all students have access to computers and/or Internet services.

2- Students with IEP prescribed software and applications available only at school

(screen readers, text-to-talk, etc.), a flipped classroom may pose more

challenges.

For teachers, flipping a classroom means increase in upfront effort:

1- Planning, creating and developing new materials and activities, recording

lessons in a podcast or vodcast format, preparing web-based hand-outs, and

curating websites as resources.

2- Uploading files in condensed format takes considerable time

3- Developing materials for students with disabilities may need technical

adaptation in order to comply with the IDEA requirements

3- Integration of materials and activities need to be seen as enhancing content

delivered via podcast/vodcast

4- Re-design of classroom time and format need to create pathways for individual

pursue of interests and collaborative projects.

For administrators, a major disadvantage of the flipped classroom refers to its

disengagement from the “teach-to-the-test” model: Flipping does not follow

instructional techniques to improve standardized tests.

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Things to Know

1. Flipping isn’t about the newest technology or web-based tools…

2. At the heart of a flipped classroom is student ownership of the learning process

3. Flipping changes the classroom structure and how teaching is organized and

content delivered.

4. Flipping changes access to instructional materials, student engagement, and

interaction between teacher and students

5. Flipped classrooms uses UDL principles

6. Flipping requires additional time for scripting lessons, recording videos and

uploading files

Ready to Flip?

Implementation of a flipped classroom requires an upfront effort creating instructional

materials in a variety of formats: podcasting, recording and uploading videos,

curating websites, developing Pinterest boards.

Open source software are the best options for creating and recording

Podcast/Vodcast. The most common file format is MP3 because it is widely used and

produces good audio quality: Audacity and Garage Band for audio and IMovie and

MovieMaker for video recording. The podcast/vodcast can be stored and shared in

public, free educational directory such as GoogleDrive, EDpuzzle and SchoolTube.

Sharing of the podcast/vodcast is often possible via the school district website.

Selected Sources

Acedo, Mike. (2013). 10 Pros and Contra of a Flipped Classroom

Brantmeyer, Edward J. (1996). Empowerment Pedagogy: Co-learning and Teaching.

EDUCASE (2012). Seven things you should know about Flipped Classrooms

EmergingTech (2012): Reasons to flip your classroom

Flipped Learning Network

Noonoo, S. (2012). Flipped Learning Founders Set the Record Straight

Pioneer Jonathan Bergmann explains the flipped-mastery model

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Short History of Flipped Learning -As told by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams

TED 2011. Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education

National Center on Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Walsh, K. (2012). 8 Great reasons to flip your classroom