What Is a Flipped Classroom

Wondering how to make learning experience more innovative and efficient? Read our article about a developing trend in education – a flipped classroom. Implementing a new learning method can cause difficulties and uncertainty. Here, we’ll define what is a flipped classroom, find out its pros and cons, and give several tips on creating your own flipped classroom.

A flipped classroom is a model of blended learning. It’s a combination of online and offline education. In the flipped classroom model, students study the training materials outside the classroom before the lessons. They watch pre-recorded video lectures, online webinars, and read articles assigned to them by a teacher. Inside the classroom, the teacher guides students to apply the knowledge studied at home. Learners complete group discussions, interactive exercises, team-building activities, and case studies.

Flipped learning aims at saving time in the classroom for active training exercises to provide richer learning experience. This way, the teacher doesn’t waste class time on delivering a lecture. Students come to school already prepared for the class. They only need to practice and learn how to use their fresh knowledge.

During the classwork, the teacher acts as a facilitator. He or she helps students to get a deeper understanding of the material, provides any support, and facilitates the communication between learners.

The flipped classroom, also known as a reverse classroom, improves the learning experience in many ways:

• Studying at one’s own pace
  When studying lectures at home, it’s possible to reread or rewatch the material anytime. Students can also find additional information on the Internet. It helps to understand difficult topics better.

• Better perception of knowledge
  Students get a deeper understanding of the material, as they interact with each other and an instructor and receive frequent feedback.

• Tracking the achievement gap
  In the traditional approach, students do their homework at home after classes. They don’t have anyone to ask questions on the exercises at home if there’s any problem with understanding. What is more, students make mistakes, and it’s hard to track what exactly went wrong.

  Doing the homework in classroom, learners can ask questions to their instructor immediately. The instructor can notice some common mistakes and pay more attention to the problem.

• The more active process of studying
  Learners aren’t just the recipients of new information. They take part in interactive learning activities in class.

• Awareness of the curriculum
  With all the courses available online, parents can have a clue of what their children study. Therefore, parents can provide support to their children.

• Building social skills, providing constant interaction between students.

• Learning to take responsibility for one’s education

Both educators and students have to be ready that implementing a new learning method isn’t that easy and fast.

One of the main difficulties is that implementing the flipped classroom needs technology access both at schools and homes. It’s impossible to access online courses without an Internet connection and a computer, or mobile device.

The flipped classroom requires trust between an instructor and students. Teachers need to trust students in preparing for the lessons at home, as the in-class activities require students’ participation and knowledge. Not all learners are highly motivated to complete the tasks at home by themselves.

Preparing the content for students’ independent learning takes a lot of effort and time for a teacher. The teacher has to make video lectures and upload them online. He or she also has to get ready for the classroom activities that will motivate students and make them understand the material better.

Implementing the reverse classroom requires teachers to do a lot of work. First of all, teachers need to prepare students for a complete change in their learning experience. He or she needs to explain the concept of flipped learning, its meaning, and its benefits. Students should be well motivated to start a new method of learning.

It’s important to get used to flipping the roles. A teacher shouldn’t duplicate what was already said in a lecture. If the instructor rereads the lecture during the class, students will think they don’t need to get ready for the lesson at home. A teacher should facilitate the activities of students, so they own their learning.

Flipped classroom space should differ from the traditional during the classwork. Rearrange desks for different kinds of activities. Place all the desks into one big desk to make it look like a conference. For working in groups, place desks together in small clusters. Students should be comfortable to communicate with each other.

A teacher should explain to students how to study outside the class. Students are to make notes while watching video lectures and also write down their questions. Learners should study in a quiet place so that nothing can distract them.