Over the last two decades, the field of education has shown tremendous evolution in terms of the techniques deployed in teaching students. Traditionally, instructors were required to introduce new concepts to students and ensure that the students understand the taught concept within a classroom setting. Nevertheless, technological advancement has seen various techniques being devised to ease the teaching and learning processes. An example of such techniques is flipping the classroom. Under this novel model, students access to new information outside a classroom setting through lecture videos or readings (Berrett, 2012). As such, the classroom is only used to facilitate processes that would lead to assimilation of the new information. During the assimilation process, the learners are given a chance to solve problems, debate or discuss matters relating to the new material provided to them outside the classroom. This article will discuss how flipping the classroom functions, how it was invented, merits it offers and the challenges facing the system.
History of Flipping the Classroom
The idea of flipping the classroom was initiated by a physicist at the Harvard University known as Mr. Eric Mazur. For over two decades, Mr. Mazur was flipping most of his courses. He used to term his methods of instruction as peer instruction. During lectures, the instructor used to organize his students in small groups to solve problems and respond to particular conceptual questions. In present times, the instructor launched practitioners’ networks that are specific for flipped classroom. Notably, Mr. Mazur started using peer instructions by examining his students on particular concepts. The concepts he studied included the force concept inventory. This concept determines the calculus model inventory as well as testing the insight of how the Newtonian mechanics was founded.
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Notably, despite him being highly rated by many students were rating Mr. Mazur in terms of classroom delivery, the instructor realized that his learners were not gaining a deeper understanding of the concept he was delivering. This made the lecturer state that the conventional methods of lecturing emphasized on too much on information transfer and the rate of assimilation among the students was very little. He also noted that the conventional methods of teaching were becoming less effective since the information was becoming more plentiful. As such, information transfer would not help the learners to assimilate information (Berrett, 2012). Therefore, he hosted a conference explaining how his newly devised “peer instructions” method helped students to grasp various concepts such as those involved in thermodynamics. Notably, the peer instruction method is most articles refer to it as “Flipping the Classroom”.
How Flipping the Classroom Works
Flipping the classroom involves providing the learners with videos about specific lectures while they are at home. The lecture can be either a podcast or other forms of audio materials. Notably, this is dome prior to a lecture session. This system does that so that the classroom time is utilized for discussions, exercises or projects that would enable the students to understand the information provided to them outside the classroom setting. The flipped classroom approach sees video lecture as the important ingredient that would assist the teaching and learning process (Berrett, 2012). Therefore, the lecture or rather the instructor is required to create a video and post it online where the students can access it. The use of this technique has become a common feature in most institutions of higher learning since the advancement of technology has made it possible for people to access information online with minimum efforts. As a result, students can access the prerecorded lecture easily and decode the information in it in readiness for a scheduled lecture.
Merits of Flipping the Classroom
The main aim of flipping the classroom is to ensure that students remain active during the learning process. Besides, it aims at creating a hybrid type of courses that would see students gaining a deeper insight into the concepts being taught in addition to applying them in real life situations. Most importantly, flipping the classroom ensures that students are engaged in all aspects of the learning process. As aforementioned, this method is valuable since it changes the classroom into a workshop as opposed to the conventional methods that restricted the classroom for theoretical learning purposes alone (Berrett, 2012). Therefore, under the flipped classroom system, the students can utilize the classroom time to dig deeper about the content of the lecture and examine their skills. Furthermore, they would apply the gained knowledge by getting involved in practical activities that would improve their expertise on a particular subject matter. Essentially, the flipping the classroom provides the lecturers with a chance to advise, coach and encourage the learners during the classroom sessions through collaborative working.
Significance of Flipping the Classroom
Under conventional lectures, the learners often strive to absorb the concepts being taught immediately the instructor utters them (Berrett, 2012) . As such, the students cannot cease from reflecting on what the speaker is saying. This, on the other hand, may make them miss on some important points during the reflection process. On the contrary, the deployment of videos and other forms of prerecorded media to deliver specific concepts allows the watch and replay the lecture when needed. The ability to rewind and replay the lecture content is beneficial to some learners particularly those with impaired hearing.
On the other hand, this system is important for students whom English is not their first language. This category of students can listen to the lectures more often while trying to understand the meaning of certain words that were used to deliver the lecture. Importantly, the instructor can use the classroom time to explain how the concepts can be applied in addition to detecting errors due to omission and commission that are apparent in the class. Furthermore, the conduction of classroom projects motivates the learners to build their interpersonal skills hence making them interact socially with one another. This will make them exchange ideas as well as offer support to other peers who happen to be slow learners.
Challenges Facing Flipping the Classroom System
Flipping the classroom is an efficient and effective method that ought to be deployed in most learning institutions. However, it is easy for things to go wrong with this model. In spite of the idea being robust, an effective flipped class needs the instructor prepare the lecture materials very carefully. In that respect, the instructor needs devote ample time and efforts in preparation of the content. The lecture should carefully incorporate out-of-class concepts to the students in order for them to understand how the system works. Besides, doing so will also motivate them to prepare in advance for the class. This is an indication that embracing flipped classrooms means the lectures will need extra work and skills in order to make the system to be more effective.
On the other hand, students complain that the system reduces or rather reduces the face-to-face interactions with their lecturers. Students who have such notions will take the time to appreciate the role played by this model in their education life. Notably, the majority of such students perceive that this system is not different to surfing the internet for information (Berrett, 2012). Nevertheless, they forget about the hands-on experience that flipped classroom offer them during classroom sessions. Additionally, some students may opt to skip a classroom session that offers a hands-on experience exercise since they perceive that they already understood the concept after watching the lecture videos. This may make the flipped classroom to miss its initial objective. Finally, where the learners are receptive on this model, they may lack the infrastructure that may allow them to access the lecture materials online.
In conclusion, flipping the classroom is one of the best techniques that can improve the teaching and learn processes in educational institutions. This is true since the system not only allows the students to have the theoretical know-how of their courses but also provides them with a chance to improve their hands on activity during the classroom sessions. More so, it helps them to build their interpersonal skills as well as collaborative work. Therefore, in order for this system t be more effective, the instructor needs to be more skilled and innovative when preparing the lecture videos. On the other hand, the students need to be receptive and participative in all facets of the program.
References
Berrett, D. (2012). How ‘flipping’the classroom can improve the traditional lecture. The chronicle of higher education , 12 , 1-14.
