While flipped learning can stand on its own as an effective blended learning model, it is much more versatile than that. In fact, flipped learning is regularly integrated into every other blended learning model. By understanding the concepts and practices of flipped learning, you can improve your implementation of all blended learning models.
What Is Flipped Learning?
In its most classic sense, flipped learning is the flipping of what happens at school and what happens outside of class. For example, instead of listening to a lecture or reading an article at school, students do this on their own time after school hours. Similarly, instead of doing application or practice on their own at night, this work is completed during class time. By flipping these two experiences, students can acquire the instructional input on their own, while having the teacher present in class to answer their questions, support them, and help them apply their new learning.
Another advantage of flipping these experiences is that it allows the teacher to maximize the face-to-face time for work that requires the most cognitively complex tasks, such as analysis, synthesis, creation, and evaluation. This is where students are stretched and grow the most, and it’s during this phase of learning that they will be in most need of their teacher’s support. The instructional input is generally less cognitively complex, and students are often able to complete this phase of learning on their own, especially since it’s often a more passive experience. If they do have questions, they can follow up with their teacher during the in-person class session.
Accountability
Teachers may get nervous about trying flipped learning because they are worried that students won’t watch the video or complete the learning activities needed to be ready for the in-class activities. This is a valid concern and something that needs to be considered and planned for. While there may not be a perfect solution to this, there are a few effective strategies that you can try. Here are five to consider:
- Set clear expectations and hold students accountable to them.
The first step is to make sure that students know what they are supposed to do and how to accomplish it. If they don’t understand your directions, they can’t complete the task. Then, as with any other classroom expectations, the second step is to make sure that there are natural consequences if they choose not to do the work. It’s important to note that these consequences are not punishments; rather, they are opportunities to redirect students in ways that increase their chances for success.
- Require students to watch the videos when they get to class.
On the surface, this may not seem like a consequence at all, and yes, this will mean that students will miss out on some of the other learning activities you have planned. However, if the content is core to engaging in the next phase of learning—and it should be if you’re assigning it—students need to complete this work. Allowing them to skip it will not only send the wrong message but also put the student at an academic disadvantage.
- Create in-class activities that students don’t want to miss.
Other than making the videos engaging and meaningful, the best way to motivate students to watch your videos outside of class is to create in-class activities that they don’t want to miss. If these are fun, mentally stimulating, collaborative, and interactive, most students will want to be part of it. Missing this portion of the lesson may be the natural consequence of not doing the prior work, and it can motivate students to watch the videos in the future.
- Find out why students didn’t do the work.
Take caution to not assume that students are just being lazy or avoiding your assignments. Some students might not have reliable internet at home, leaving them unable to view the content. Others may not have a home environment that is conducive to learning, or maybe your student is responsible for the care of siblings on evenings when their parents/guardians are at work. By taking the time to understand the reason that the work has not been completed, you can work with the student and their family to find a solution.
- Employ an in-class flipped model.
This approach eliminates the issue of students not completing necessary work outside of class. Essentially, with the in-class flipped model, students still acquire basic content on their own. They may watch a video, read something, listen to a podcast, work with interactive software programs, converse with a custom AI chatbot, or perhaps conduct research. The difference with the in-class approach is that students do this in class during the normal lesson rather than as homework.
This approach is also often integrated into the other blended learning models, making each of those more feasible. For instance, during station rotation, teachers can effectively “clone themselves” by providing video directions and instruction at each station. Students can watch this recording on their own or in groups and then complete the station activities while the teacher works with individuals or small groups of students at a teacher station. Similarly, in whole-group rotation, students are often introduced to new material through flipped content. Again, this content may be delivered in multiple ways. In the blended learning playlist model, students frequently engage in flipped learning as part of the choice boards that they are asked to complete.
Benefits of Flipped Learning
- Increased Student Engagement
Jon Bergmann, one of the originators of flipped learning, stresses that the power of the flipped classroom is not the videos. Rather, it’s the increased student engagement that is possible because of the flip. He says, “It’s time to change from passive learning to active learning, so we can reach every student every day.” By increasing activity, collaboration, and application during class, students will be much more engaged in their learning.
- Increased Inquiry and Higher-Order Thinking Opportunities
We all want our students to go beyond simply memorizing content. Flipped learning prioritizes class time for these higher-order thinking goals. Bergmann points this out, stressing the importance of using in-class time to give students projects and inquiry activities. He says, “That’s where the magic will really happen.” He emphasizes that students should be applying, analyzing, and creating in class.
- Increased Individualized Time With Students
Bergmann also stresses that at the core of flipped learning is an intent to “give struggling students more of what they need—me [the teacher].” Full-class instruction limits relationship building with students. Being freed up to interact with students one-on-one and in smaller groups goes a long way to helping establish deeper relationships with them. In fact, Bergmann says, “Flipped learning comes down to relationships,” and this helps to turn the classroom into “an active place of learning where there is someone there for them [each student].”
- Increased Achievement
Bergmann points out that flipped learning has been highly researched, with over 500 studies so far, and the vast majority of those studies point to increased student achievement. In fact, there are now universities that are entirely flipped, and even Harvard Medical School has adopted the flipped approach. Flipped learning has also been shown to increase the depth of learning due to the increased level of engagement in class.
- Blended Learning Enabler
Flipped learning makes the other blended learning models feasible by providing a way to transfer directions and content asynchronously. Flipped material can be integrated into a station, used as an online portion of a whole-class rotation, and included as either an optional or required component on a lesson playlist.
Implementation Tips
If you’re considering a flipped learning approach, the following tips can help make the process more time efficient and practical.
- You don’t have to create all the flipped content.
If you’re looking for videos, there are countless available on free platforms like YouTube, SchoolTube, TeacherTube, Khan Academy, and TED-Ed. If you don’t want to use video, you can link to high-quality websites, articles, or podcasts. If you choose to incorporate content from someone else, be sure to preview it to make sure that it meets your standards and academic objectives, and as always, it is important to ensure that you adhere to copyright law and have obtained all appropriate copyright permissions for your intended use.
- Your own videos don’t have to be perfect.
If you decide that video is your media of choice, there are advantages to creating your own flipped videos. Free programs like Loom (Tips) and Screencastify allow you to easily record your screen and voice at the same time. If you go this route, it’s important not to obsess about getting everything perfect, as that can consume far too much of your time.
If you create your own videos, plan your message, decide what visuals you will show as you explain each concept, and then keep it moving. In a video format, you can move faster than in a live classroom, and you can also keep the message shorter. In fact, try to keep your videos under 7 minutes and less than that for younger students. You might even want to chop a 7-minute video into two or three shorter ones, as shorter videos may be more effective than a single longer one and can increase the chance that students watch to the end. And again, remember that one take is fine—it doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Engage students during the flipped experience.
During face-to-face instruction, you can see if students are tuned in, as this is not always the case during flipped learning unless it’s happening in the classroom and you’re circulating around the room. To make sure that students connect and engage with the flipped content, give them something to do while watching the video, listening to audio, or reading content. You might give them graphic organizers to complete, ask them to generate three questions about the new content, or request that they take focused notes. You can also use a program like Edpuzzle (Tips) to embed questions into the video. Edpuzzle also gives you analytics, so you can see if students watched the whole video and even if they watched sections more than once.
- Start small.
If flipped learning sounds intriguing to you, it’s okay to start small, perhaps with one lesson. Get your bearings with it, see how it works, and then decide if and how you want to expand from there.
AVID Connections
This resource connects with the following components of the AVID College and Career Readiness Framework:
- Instruction
- Rigorous Academic Preparedness
- Student Agency
- Insist on Rigor
- Break Down Barriers
- Align the Work
Extend Your Learning
- Jon Bergmann (official website)
- Flipped Classroom 101: Challenges, Benefits and Design Tips (Dr. Catlin Tucker)
- Flipped Classroom (Pasco County Schools via YouTube)