The emerging flipped classroom model makes use of students' interest in using technology to enhance their educational experiences. It adds substantially to the amount of time teachers and students work directly with each other to increase students' understanding of the subject.
The familiar method of teaching used in most classrooms today features an instructor standing in front of the class and delivering the material while students take notes, which can be boring to students. Practise and reinforcement of the concepts takes place at home, when students are alone doing their homework. The practice of recording lectures in college settings has been around for decades, and flipping the classroom takes this familiar concept to a whole new level.
Rather than delivering the information to students during classroom time, instructors record their lectures and demonstrations digitally, so that students can watch at home. During class, teachers and students use all of their time together on discussion and application of the skills and concepts.
Unlike traditional models, students can watch digital lectures at their own pace, pausing and rewinding as needed. Complex concepts can be reviewed again and again until students feel confident in their understanding. Differentiating instruction for learning disabilities can be taken in a variety of new directions, for example, by adding captioning on the digital recordings to support hearing impairments.
When students return to the classroom after watching the lecture or demonstration online, instructors can launch into discussions right away. More time leads to more discussion and greater participation from all students in the class. As concepts are being applied to case studies and practice problems, teachers have increased opportunity to note issues in student comprehension, and students have increased opportunity to voice their questions and concerns.
Transitioning to a flipped classroom model does not have to be a dramatic change. Instructors new to the method can start small, flipping a specific unit or even a single lesson. As teachers become more used to preparing the video lessons and students become more accustomed to the new expectations, more lectures can be flipped.
