Advantages and Benefits
What are some of the advantages and benefits of the flipped classroom?
The advantages are that the students set the pace for learning and can utilize the in class sessions to clarify and or solidify what they have learned. Students are more actively engaged in the learning process and interact with their peers to discuss what they have learned. The benefits for students are numerous!
Sherry ,
True. This active engagement leads to deeper learning.
Dr. Moody Crews
There are many advantages and benefits to the flipped classroom. A couple of examples include,
1) Student-centered learning – having activities and active engagement during class time allows students to really demonstrate their ability to grasp and apply the concepts presented. This also provides a natural continuation of their learning outside the classroom through engagement with their peers and faculty member to further develop points they may have missed or didn’t fully grasp during their studies. Although it is not a self-paced course, I do feel that the flipped classroom allows students at differing levels of understanding to collaborate in a way that enhances their overall experience which in my opinion is the ultimate student-centered learning model. Students are also able to tailor the outside study time to how they learn best – listening to recorded lectures, or reading the transcript of a recorded lecture, actively taking notes at a comfortable pace, etc.
2) Encouraged student interaction – requiring regular student interaction through the in-class activities I believe will have a positive impact on retention rates for schools and hopefully positive social implications for our students. In a more traditional lecture course a student may attend class, fully or not-at-all engage with the course material, but never get to know another student in the course. The flipped classroom allows an opportunity for students to engage with the material, while also connecting at some level with their peers. Social bonds and a sense of belonging are fairly strong indicators for student persistence, especially in cases of first generation students. This is a great way to facilitate this for students without obligating them to additional time and commitments that often go with co-curricular clubs and activities.
Just the fact that students can view and review "lecture" at their own pace is a big advantage. If there is something not clear to them, they can rewind and watch again. If it's still not clear, hopefully the following day they ask me to go over it, one-on-one. That situation would also help me, as an instructor, to know if my approach to a certain part of the subject needs to be revised.
As more and more digital natives enter into the university setting, they are going to expect courses to include technology. They are also going to be more familiar with the use of technology than our previous classes of students. It is an advantage to the university to be seen as moving with the times, and an advantage to the student to use tools they are already practiced in.
Christen Embry
The biggest advantage I see is the student arrives to the traditional class room with a knowledge of the discussion topic. The class room is no longer a place of unknowns and arduous lectures of "surprise" content.
Some of the advantages and benefits of the flipped classroom is more direct instructor/learner time. Many times when a student is listening to a lecture they think they understand it so they may not have any immediate questions. However as the student starts to ask homework questions or apply the theory then questions come up and clarification is required. With this now going on in class instead of at home the instructor can instantly give the explanation that is needed.
Students taking more responsibility for their learning. More time in the classroom for instructors to 'guide' student' learning instead of just lecturing at them.
I think a discussion of the advantages of this new flipped teaching method is important, however, I feel that there is a bias without due discussion on the disadvantages.
For example, how do we account for student malpreparation? The student may choose to do nothing at home and not even view the lecture material. I can see this as distracting / discouraging to other students and the instructor as he feels that not all students may have experienced the "lecture" and are well behind on the "application" and "analysis" aspects of the Bloom Taxonomy.
As a student, I would be discouraged and possibly stop attending class altogether.
I think the greatest advantage is that the students can access the information 24/7 because, as we all know, it takes the average person 8 times to hear something or read something before they master the information! This type of classroom allows students an endless amount of time for them to review the information in order to become masters!
I think that there are 2 advantages to the flipped classroom.
The ability of the students to view/listen to the infromation at their own pace is a positive for those with multiple responsibilities outside of the class.
The *pause and/or rewind* feature enables them to review, take notes, compare with their peers the information and to achieve true understanding of it. It also promotes motivation.
In our department we have training videos already made by the motor company which they can use or not at this time. So by using those to be used or required to in the different classes it would cut down lectures by half by discussing the different procedures then have more time for practice and performance time to further the students skill set.
Nathan,
You are correct that the student may decide to do nothing at home. Unfortunately, we can't control their decisions. We can only guide them in explaining to them why their preparation is important and a benefit to them and their overall learning. Also, I don't mean to sound harsh but learning is as much their responsibility as it is ours, if not more. If the student refuses to do the work for the class there probably isn't much you or anyone else can do about that. We all make decisions and their are consequences for those decisions - some good, some bad.
Dr. Moody Crews
If done properly it should increase student knowledge/skill and engagement.
Katie,
Wonderful response. I appreciate your comprehensive discussion. It is obvious that you put some real thought into this.
Dr. Moody Crews
Richard,
Good point. The self-evaluation of what we do as instructors in order to determine if we need to revise something we're doing is extremely important.
Dr. Moody Crews
Christen,
True. At this point, most universities have realized the importance of technology and meeting our students where they are with technology. Technology is how they learn so technology must be the way we teach.
Dr. Moody Crews
Neil,
True. The student's level of knowledge and exposure to content is important. However, what we do next as the instructors is the key.
Dr. Moody Crews
Cynthia,
Good points. When those questions come up at home, they often do not make it back to the next classroom session. Then all students lose the opportunity to learn from those questions.
Dr. Moody Crews
