There seems to be a laundry list of benefits to the flipped classroom. mainly, The students can move at their own pace through pre-recorded lecture. In addition, the classroom management during realtime lectures is sometimes a major issue. The students that understand the material are waiting for the others to 'get it' witch leads to frustration and boredom. I teach in a majority lab setting and have the most success in locating a students understanding level by watching them work hands-on. The flipped classroom is not that far of a stretch from what I do now. I'm excited to impliment a few changes.
The flipped classroom is great because it enables students to be in charge of their own learning. It also allows them to learn at their own pace. Being able to re-watch the prerecorded lectures helps those that are not understanding the concepts and being able to skip ahead allows the advanced learners to move forward. In a traditional classroom (F2F) setting many skilled learners become bored because they master the topics so quickly. Another benefit of the flipped classroom is that the pre-recorded lectures can be translated into different languages for students whose primary language is not English. Also, subtitles help the hearing impaired understand the material more effectively. I think the flipped classroom benefits all learners (including special needs learners) and learning styles as well.
Laura,
Good points. The ability to begin the class with students who already understand what they don't understand is a major step forward.
Dr. Moody Crews
Leah,
The fact that all students do not learn at the same pace or in the same way is something that instructors often forget.
Dr. Moody Crews
Leah,
That is a very good point.
Dr. Moody Crews
Patricia,
This is true but I believe the real benefit comes from the ability for the instructor to take the learning to a higher level after the student has done the work at home.
Dr. Moody Crews
Layovone,
Yes. The amount of time available to help the students learn how to actually use what they are learning is extremely important.
Dr. Moody Crews
Ron ,
Yes, this has been mentioned by others as a benefit and I agree.
Dr. Moody Crews
Gerardo ,
The ability for students to work at their own pace is a major advantage of the flipped classroom.
Dr. Moody Crews
Daniel,
The lack of technology available for some students at home is a real issue. I know some of my students must use the computers in the college and in the library which does deter from the benefit of the relaxed environment of home.
Dr. Moody Crews
Anesa,
Your last statement is of utmost importance. Using Bloom's taxonomy allows us to assist students in reaching a higher level of learning.
Dr. Moody Crews
Doris,
That higher level of engagement with students in order to assist them in applying what they have learned is a key advantage of the flipped classroom.
Dr. Moody Crews
Rebecca,
The classroom discussions will be conducted in much more depth and the individual training component is the key.
Dr. Moody Crews
Diona,
True. The challenge will be to encourage all students to want to know more and be willing to go beyond.
Dr. Moody Crews
Timothy,
Having all students involved in the learning process with their classmates is fantastic.
Dr. Moody Crews
Dawn,
Those students who need more time will also benefit from having knowledge of what they do not understand when they come to class. They then know what questions to ask to help them understand.
Dr. Moody Crews
Kelvin,
This sounds great. I think the lab setting is the perfect setting for the flipped classroom.
Dr. Moody Crews
Zach,
The ability to watch the lectures as often as the student needs to is very important. They can't do that with the traditional lecture that takes place in the classroom.
Dr. Moody Crews
Many of my students are parents themselves, and sometimes child illnesses prevent the students from coming to class. A great benefit from the flipped classroom is a great option for them, so as they will not miss a good chunk of the lessons due to their absence. To catch the student up on the day they missed would be far easier than the traditional classroom.
I believe that the advantages that the students will have in a flipped class room would be the freedom to view the lectures at home or wherever it would be convenient to them. If things in the class room go too quickly for them to grasp, or if they are absent a day and need to catch up, it is available to them. Some students may not have responsible class mates to copy notes from, or may miss a large chunk of time. Having a flipped class room makes it easier for them to stay engaged, access information freely, and take their education into their own hands more effectively.
