Buzzword Decoder: Flipped Classroom

A “flipped classroom” is an approach to eLearning that mightappeal to designers and developers who are moving in-person learning online.

While the flipped classroom can follow a number ofimplementations, some more and some less feasible for eLearning, the concept isconsistent: Rather than the first exposure to new information occurring duringan in-class lecture, learners are exposed to new concepts or facts whilepreparing for class. In class, they spend their time on analysis,problem-solving, and applying information or using new skills. What it oftenlooks like is that passive learning elements, generally lectures and readings,are assigned as homework; projects and activities that might previously havebeen assigned as homework are completed in class, with the teacher as a guide.

Instructors might implement a flipped classroom in a varietyof ways, such as:

• Putting lectures on video and assigning them,along with readings, as homework; having learners complete worksheets, answerquestions, or take quizzes in class
• Putting lectures on video, as above, but usingclass time for group projects
• Assigning a variety of videos, readings, andpodcasts as homework and using class time to discuss the material
• Assigning videos and readings, but, rather than holdingsynchronized group sessions, using discussion boards and conducting one-on-onechats between instructors and individual learners

How does the flipped classroom apply to eLearning?

A flipped model is often used in conjunction with a virtualclassroom, creating a blended instruction format.

Much discussion of flipped classrooms focuses on videos.Lectures that are turned into videos, that is. This is a place to start, but isby no means the only—or best—option. Consider an eLearning developer who isconverting a two-day seminar into eLearning. The first questions are:

• How much of that seminar is lecture, reading, orother transfer of information? That information can become asynchronouseLearning assignments.
• How much is interactive: discussion, questionand answer, quizzes, activities? If the eLearning will have live virtualclassroom meetings or other synchronous events, that’s the time to engage thelearners in these activities.

A rationale for flipping the classroom is that theinstructor can be most valuable to learners as a coach, helping them solveproblems and apply information. Lectures can easily be delivered online. Betteryet, lectures can disappear completely, replaced with short videos and relevantreadings or podcasts.

Advantages of delivering non-interactive information onlineinclude:

• The material is available to learners anytime,on their schedule. This is helpful for busy employees; it also enables peopleto keep up even if they miss a synchronous session.
• Learners can reflect on information as theylearn it. In a lecture, the instructor says it once. On video, learners canpause, rewind, and view a segment or entire video multiple times.
• The instructor can spend more time interactingwith individual learners or small groups during synchronous meetings, ratherthan talking to the group as a whole. This makes it easier to solve problemsand aid anyone who’s struggling with a concept or exercise.
• While turning the instructor’s lectures or slidedecks into videos is an option, instructors can also incorporate other experts’material: TED talks, lectures or instructional videos created by well-knownexperts, even materials created by learners.
• The push toward shorter and more engagingeLearning could mean that the flipped classroom has fewer and shorter segmentsof information transfer—and more active learning by students.

The bottom line, for many flipped classroom proponents, isgetting learners to take responsibility for their own learning—and puttingsynchronous time to good use, with learners engaged in “deeper” learning andinstructors monitoring their progress via increased one-on-one contact.

To flip or not to flip?

Not all learning works in a flipped mode. A course that haslittle lecture or information transfer might not change much if the instructortries to flip it. A course where the “lectures” tend to be discussions withlots of information packed into them might not be a good candidate for flipping,either—especially if it’s possible to build eLearning that retains theinteraction level of the lively in-class discussions. On the other hand, whenthe eLearning entails more skills training than information transfer—learning aprocedure, for example—a clear, thorough instructional video can replace classtime spent covering the steps. Class time is then freed up for learners topractice performing the procedure, with the instructor’s oversight andassistance as needed.

In addition to carefully evaluating the materials beforedeciding whether a flipped approach will work, developers should consider thelearners’ resources. In some educational frameworks, flipped classrooms are notfeasible since not all learners have access to the technology they need tocomplete the asynchronous portions; this is less likely to be a factor in acorporate environment. In corporate eLearning, the developer’s decision mightboil down to deciding whether synchronous sessions are possible, then dividingthe materials into synchronous or asynchronous elements. (See “Buzzword Decoder: Virtual Classroom” for more discussion of synchronous andasynchronous eLearning.)

Perhaps the best result of a discussion on whether to flip a classroomis an examination of the materials and approach used—with a goal of creatingeLearning that is more focused on the learners and their needs. Writing anddelivering a lecture is easy; creating eLearning activities that teach andengage is not. But flipping the classroom might be the push that turns dulllearning, heavy with slide decks, into faster-paced and interactive learning.