Flipped Classroom Models in Online Learning

The sudden shift from in-person classrooms to online classrooms has left students and educators in a tumult. It has been no easy business making the move to online learning, which unfortunately proved to be less engaging than traditional learning. Eventually, this dilemma led to the popularization of the Flipped Classroom Models.

In this article, we will go over the idea of flipping the classroom, discuss its major benefits, and familiarize ourselves with various types of flipped classroom models.

What is a Flipped Classroom?

Flipped classroom pedagogy is a kind of blended learning that was first introduced by two High school teachers in Colorado, namely, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams in 2007. By using the PowerPoint record button, the first recorded their lectures and later posted them online for students who missed them.

Eventually, this gave birth to a new learning strategy wherein the traditional style of the classroom was 'flipped'. In this model, students get access to learning material (pre-recorded tutorials, readings, educational videos, etc) online. They independently go through them and meet up either in-person or online in group meetings. Consequently, the role of teachers shifts from being 'sage on the stage' to 'guide on the side'.

There are four pillars of the 'F-L-I-P':

• Flexible environment (self-paced learning)
• Learning culture (fosters independent learner-centric learning)
• Intentional content (the content is specially designed to fit the needs of the model)
• Professional educator (instructor for thorough guidance).

Using Bloom's taxonomy pyramid, we can see that with the flipped classroom models, a lower level of cognitive work like remembering is done outside of the class. Whereas, higher level of cognitive work like analyzing and creating is done in class with the help of the instructor. This is how flipped classroom primarily differs from the traditional didactic classroom.

Tidbit: One can argue that Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy popularized the flipped classroom model in recent times.

Benefits of Flipped Classroom Models

Boost student engagement

Both students and teachers report that flipped classroom results in greater class participation. Not only that, studies prove that these models likely do improve academic outcomes. As students are made to grasp easier skills on their own, they are more willing and feel less drained to continue the course. Meanwhile, together the students acquire complex cognitive skills with the help of the instructor who is present to guide them along the way. This balanced approach ensures that students do not feel burdened.

Moreover, the flexible set-up also allows for gamification. That is to say, students engage in active and fun learning activities that keep them engaged throughout.

👀READ ALSO: 9 Best Online Student Engagement Strategies.

Builds Independent Thinking Skills

Since half of the course is based on independent learning, therefore, the flipped model also helps build independent thinking skills. A key life skill no doubt. It does so gradually. This way learner sharpens their skill set in nibbles without the feeling of a burn-out. When students engage with the learning material on their own, the first opinion they form is their own. Hence, not only are they able to understand better but also retain the information for longer too.

Time-Efficient

An amazing feature of the flipped classroom is 'self-paced learning'. Students can learn according to their own grasping ability. This makes it an individually-catered classroom too. For students who learn faster can do so and those who take time understanding can also comfortably do it without feeling any shame. In this way, the classroom is time-efficient i.e. it optimizes time according to the needs of the learners.

Flipped Classroom Models

Standard Flipping

This is the basic flipped model wherein students get pre-recorded videos and then meet up in a classroom for a full discussion.

One-day-a-week Flipping

For instructors looking to shake things up and break away from the monotony, this is perfect. You can enjoy the full benefits of a flipped model without the commitment. Generally, the instructor reserves one specific day of the week to apply the flipped model.

Selected-Content Flipping

It can often be difficult to flip certain subjects and courses. Besides, one cannot completely out rule lecturing. This is why instructors can section the course contents that they want to flip and others, more complex contents they can deliver via traditional lecturing.

Flipping Without Pre-recorded Video Lectures

Flipping doesn't only mean incorporating recorded video lectures into the course. One has the complete freedom with this particular model to include any kind of learning material, be it ebooks, Tv shows, case studies, etc. This means that instructors are relieved from the burdensome task of recording tedious lectures.

Full Hybrid Flipping

At times it happens that online learning material is too much to complete in a given time frame or is complex for individuals. With full hybrid flipping, learners are given in-class time to complete their online tasks and activities.

How to Flip Your Online Classroom?

Traditionally, flipped classroom models have been used with the in-person classroom. However, with online learning on the rise, the flip has also made an entrance in online classrooms. Since the asynchronous individual learning section is already based online, that is half the task done for flipping a remote classroom.

Synchronous learning methods

The job gets a little tricky with the second half i.e. in-person discussion sessions. Thanks to Platforms like Teachfloor, flipping the classroom is now a piece of cake. Teachfloor provides its users with Zoom integration that enables learners to mimic a traditional classroom-like experience remotely. Students can now come together in the form of live cohorts and engage in real-time to fully enjoy the flipped classroom.

Asynchronous learning methods

Moreover, teachers can easily record lectures and upload the videos on Teachfloor for students to use. Alongside, they have the option to upload and share documents and other learning materials.

The Student Dashboard provides a complete record of participant analytics for instructors to keep track of the students' performance. Another cool feature here is Peer review. Students can interact with their fellow peers and help each other learn even better.

Flip the curriculum

When flipping an online classroom, a key component to particularly keep in mind is the curriculum. You cannot flip all kinds of curriculums. Therefore, thoroughly go through the learning material and mold it accordingly. You can make use of Teachfloor's curriculum builder, it will make your job a lot easier,

👀READ ALSO: How to teach live online classes - The ultimate guide.

Takeways: Flipped Classroom Models

No doubt flipped classroom models improve learning outcomes and student engagement. Besides, they also make learning fun for both students and teachers alike. However, making the shift from usual online learning to flipped classroom model can be a little challenging.

By following the above-mentioned tips, hopefully, this task will become a lot easier for you. Make sure to focus particularly on the curriculum and student expectations. These are key components that will determine the structure of your flipped classroom.

Similarly, another vital component is finding the perfect LMS that will support your flipped model. Make sure that the LMS ticks all of your requirements, just like Teachfloor does!