Should it be Flipped?

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        Flipped classrooms are starting to become more popular and advancements in technology are playing a factor in helping these stats continue to grow. Flipped classrooms are based on the idea of reordering or “flipping” the in-class and out-of-class activities students complete. Effective flipped classrooms utilize some form of lecture for students to do outside of class to better prepare them for what will be covered or demonstrated in class. Teachers can choose to create videos, assign readings, or combine both, and create some sort of comprehension check. With new ideas of technology constantly being introduced, the concept of flipped classrooms can become very beneficial for students, if used effectively.

When students complete short videos or readings outside of class, it can allow for more collaborative learning inside the classroom. Students can work in groups and discuss what they learned from the assignment, complete problems from the material presented in the videos, or just engage in discussions with the teacher allowing for questions and additional support.

All these benefits sound great, but the flipped classrooms must be organized in a way that is effective for the benefits to actually do any good. As a future educator who has experienced flipped classrooms myself, I have seen firsthand what I believe are not effective instructional strategies. Preparing long, tedious videos for my students to watch outside of class will persuade them to not want to actually watch them, leading to them not learning the material, which can create confusion for the in-class portion and for future content. Creating short, informative videos with a short comprehension check at the end, will help keep my students engaged and hopefully ensure that they can get a start to understanding the material. 

Flipped classrooms have the ability to be great tools in the education world. With technology continuing to evolve, the opportunities are endless. As educators, we want our students to learn and enjoy learning. Implementing a flipped classroom can create variety for your students and maybe just help “flip” that frown upside down.☺

References:

“Flipped Classrooms | The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.” The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/flipped-classrooms.  

Li, Shuqin, et al. “Effectiveness of Flipped Classrooms for K–12 Students: Evidence from a Three-Level Meta-Analysis.” Review of Educational Research, vol. 20, no. 10, 2024, pp. 1-43. 

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