Teaching Excellence Workshop from St. Mary's College of Maryland on Flipped Classrooms.

1. The Flipped Classroom
Lin Muilenburg, Education
Erin De Pree, Physics
Scott Mirabile, Psychology
Dave Kung, Mathematics

2. Lin Muilenburg, Education
WHAT IS A FLIPPED
CLASSROOM?

3. Flipped Classroom: Oversimplified
• The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model
in which the typical lecture and homework
elements of a course are reversed
(EDUCAUSE, 2012).
• In more complex forms, teachers direct
students to instructional video content when
needed during various stages in complex
learning cycles (Musallam, 2011).

4. An ideology, not a model
• The Flipped Classroom is a pedagogy-first approach
that strives to meet the needs of the learners. It is
much more an ideology than it is a specific
methodology . . . there is no prescribed set of rules
to follow or model to fit.
• This can look very different from classroom to
classroom; no two Flipped Classrooms look exactly
the same, just as no two traditional classrooms look
alike.
(Bennet et al., 2012b)

5. An ideology, not a model
• The Flipped Classroom is one part of a larger
inquiry or instruction cycle, not a panacea or stand-
alone magic bullet for instruction.
• It overlaps with many instructional practices such
as:
– Reverse Instruction,
– Inquiry Learning,
– Problem-based Learning,
– Universal Design for Learning,
– Peer Instruction, and
(Bennet et al., 2012b)
– Blended Learning.

6. Why Flip?
• Actively transfer the responsibility and ownership of
learning from the teacher to the students.
• When students have control over how they learn
content, the pace of their learning, and how their
learning is assessed, the learning belongs to them.
• Teachers become guides to understanding rather
than dispensers of facts, and students become active
learners rather than receptacles of information.
(Bennet et al., 2012b)

7. Characteristics
• Discussions are led by students and typically reach
higher orders of critical thinking; outside content is
brought in and expanded.
• Students challenge one another during class on content.
• Content is given context as it relates to real-world
scenarios.
• Collaborative work is fluid depending on student needs
and interests.
(Bennet et al., 2012a)

8. Characteristics
• Student-led tutoring and collaborative learning
forms spontaneously.
• Students take ownership of the material.
• Students are actively engaged in problem solving
and critical thinking.
• Students are transforming from passive listeners to
active learners.
(Bennet et al., 2012a)

9. Questions to Consider
1. How can the focus and attention of the classroom be
turned away from the teacher and toward the students
giving the students more control over their learning?
2. What can be removed from class time that can be better
placed outside the classroom (often by leveraging
technology)?
3. What will be done with the recovered class time that
will challenge and actively engage learners?
4. How can the students’ increased cognitive load from
higher order thinking be addressed through teacher
presence and scaffolding?

10. Ex: Senior Seminar in HMST
• Reading sets offer choice; distribute knowledge
• Reading notes:
– Summarize and react to readings
– Add one important idea from outside sources
– Write thought provoking discussion question
– Post notes to Blackboard before class
• Class time is for rich, student-led discussions
• Students take ownership and share resources

11. Screencasting “Lectures”
• Directions:
http://www.screencast.com/t/zFf6Zwhjd
• Tech Skills:
http://www.screencast.com/t/BgIjwTy3J

12. Technology in the Classroom
A gradual shift from “how-to” lessons to project
development workshops
• Students work collaboratively
• Peer coaching; expertise is distributed
• F2F support for higher order thinking
• Gradually move lower order thinking to
homework – e.g., learning software basics

13. Technology in the Classroom
Everything students need is on the course wiki!
– Assignment descriptions
– Multiple exemplary models
– Scoring rubrics
– How-to screencasts
– Links to resources
The Tech in the Classroom Wiki

14. Erin De Pree, Physics
DO STUDENTS REALLY
LEARN MORE?

15. What happens in class?
• Clicker questions or ConcepTests
• Solving homework-like problems
• Solving real-world problems
• Mini lab activities
• Modeling situations – with students, play
dough, etc.
• ...

16. Build-Your-Own-Nuclear-Reactor

17. Student-designed model of an
expanding and contracting universe

18. Do Students Really Learn More?
• Conceptual Tests:
Force Concept Inventory (FCI)
– 1st semester concepts
– Standard throughout physics community
– Used internationally
• Increased preparedness for upper level courses
• They can explain their knowledge to others

19. Normalized Gain
Region Gain
High Gain 0.7 – 1.0
Medium Gain 0.3 – 0.7
Low Gain 0 – 0.3

20. Low gain
Hake, 1998

21. Interactive
courses
Traditional
courses

23. 0.5
individual courses with interactive engagement
0.45
category averages
0.4
0.35
0.3
<<g>>
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1 St. Mary’s Physics Courses
0.05 without interactive engagement
0

24. Relationship to ICES scores
STUDENT EVALUATIONS

25. 0.45
0.4
0.35
FCI Normalized Gain <<g>>
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
m = -0.008
R2 = 0.0015
0.05
0
2.6 2.8 3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4 4.2 4.4
ICES Q1 (Rate the Instructor) Score

26. 0.45
0.4
0.35
FCI Normalized Gain <<g>>
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
m = 0.000
0.05 R2 = 0.000
0
2.6 2.8 3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4 4.2 4.4
ICES Q2 (Rate the Course) Score

27. Scott Mirabile, Psychology
THE DOUBLE FLIP

28. The Double Flip: Goals & Methods
• Goal 1: Prepare for and provide hands-on experience
with various research paradigms
Prepare through lecture, provide lab activities
• Goal 2: Foster scientific, critical thinking about
important social issues relevant to developmental
psychology.
– Flip 1: Students read text chapters and take quizzes.
Assures students have working knowledge of relevant
developmental theories & research.
– Flip 2: Students select supplementary readings, draft &
assign response questions, lead the in-class discussions of
the topics

29. The Double Flip: Challenges
• Problems in Preparation
– Incentivizing responsibility-taking
– Procrastination
– Little experience drafting critical thinking questions
• Problems in Execution
– Little experience facilitating discussions
– Can generate a LOT of gradable assignments
– Student perceptions that YOU aren’t actually
teaching

30. The Double Flip: Solutions?
Problems in Preparation
• Incentivizing responsibility-taking
– “Stick”: response papers, quizzes, participation grade
– “Carrot”: student-selected topics
• Procrastination
– Break project into steps, build in time for revise &
resubmit
• Little experience drafting critical thinking questions
– Provide models (paper, in person) and rubrics
– Provide out of class support, schedule group meetings

31. The Double Flip: Challenges
Problems in Execution
• Little experience facilitating discussions
– Model the discussions you want them to have.
– Tips: don’t gate-keep, tolerate/promote silence, let ideas develop fully
– Help them facilitate during discussions, don’t take over.
• Can generate a LOT of gradable assignments
– Using pass/fail rather than numeric grades where possible
• Student perceptions that YOU aren’t teaching (about the subject)
– May be a matter of how the course is framed/described
– …?

32. Dave Kung, Mathematics
AWESOME DUDE

33. Everyone
DISCUSSION

34. References
For more information on Flipped
Classrooms, and to find the articles referenced
in this presentation go to:
https://sites.google.com/site/nhinstitutes/inter
active-classrooms/theory-behind-the-flipped-
classroom