Flipped Classrooms: A Beginner’s Guide to Flipped Learning 

In the current scenario, most teachers deliver content through lectures and then assign exercises for students to practice at home. However, with digitalization, this approach is getting reversed through flipped classrooms. A flipped classroom is a pedagogical approach where basic concepts are provided to students before their class, allowing them to use classroom time to build upon the theoretical concepts with practical projects and activities. 

Why are schools switching to flipped classrooms? 

The traditional ways of delivering content have several challenges, including the increasing pressure in higher education. Students often feel cornered and frustrated with having to do research and apply theoretical knowledge they retained in K-12. Now, due to advancements in educational technology, the flipped classroom model has paved the way for student-centred learning strategies. This model mitigates the challenges of traditional learning by:

1. Allowing students to learn autonomously, at their own pace, at home.
2. Students are more engaged when they are up to speed on what will be taught in the classroom.
3. Teachers can allot more time to clear doubts and queries for students.
4. It reduces the labour spent on “finishing the syllabus” and allows students to focus more on effectively learning topics.

A Beginner’s Roadmap to Implementing a Flipped Classroom 

1. Choose your content: Identification of complex concepts that can be understood with selective resources. 

2. Selective Resources: From the pool of online content, pick up engaging video lectures, simulations, or interactive quizzes. 

3. Plan In-Class Activities: Curate problem-solving tasks, group discussions, projects, or debates to encourage students to apply their knowledge. 

4. Set Expectations: Explain to students what they will be doing at home and in class before the actual flipping of the classrooms to ensure they know what to expect. 

How Can You Flip Your Classroom?

1. Pre-class content delivery & Assessment: Create video lectures, podcasts, or written materials on the chosen concept. Also, design short quizzes or reflection questions to deliver them to students before class sessions. 

2. In-class review and assessment: During the class, teachers can encourage group discussions through collaborative activities and hands-on exercises. They should provide timely feedback to guide the progress of students. 

Using video lectures as a medium of learning, students can reflect on the material and learn at their own pace. The general attitude towards flipped classrooms is that there are more meaningful practice-oriented and teacher-supervised classroom activities. With the introduction of digital learning tools, there is a more supported learning process for teachers and students.

“Stockholm University in Sweden” on Flipped Classrooms

This study focused on students’ opinions of flipped classroom education within a research methods course, at a university in Sweden. The study used a questionnaire to measure students’ (n = 240) perceptions of flipped classrooms in general, video as a learning tool, and Moodle (Learning Management System) as a supporting tool within the flipped classroom model. The results showed that a majority of students had a positive attitude towards flipped classrooms and the use of video and Moodle.  

Students with a positive outlook towards flipped classrooms had a strong correlation with increased motivation, engagement, effective learning, and increased learning. The flipped classroom model was appreciated by many students, with 180 students expressing a positive attitude towards the model (75%) after the course. 

How does a flipped classroom impact learning? 

Flipped classroom courses have shown that students prefer to learn course material on their own and retain more knowledge when engaging in discussions and active learning in the classroom. A recent study highlighted that 78% of students who learned through the flipped classroom approach considered themselves more engaged than the ones attending traditional courses. 

Implementing flipped classrooms can be an opportunity to make education more interactive and effective. Flipped classroom models allow students to think beyond the textbook and retain more information. It makes students comfortable with technology and critical thinking through the use of mobile devices like Chromebooks or learning tools like Moodle. Ultimately, flipped classroom activities are learner-centred classroom models that ensure a perfect balance between practice and theory.