Active Flip: A Better Flipped Classroom

Active Flip: A Better Flipped Classroom Susanna Tsai & Paulo Machado { susanna@inkitiki.com, paulo@inkitiki.com } The flipped-classroom model gained its popularity by shifting lectures from the classroom to the web, liberating time for active learning in the classroom (Bergman & Sams, 2012). This switch enabled homework exercises and practice – activities that prompt questions from learners – to be brought back to the classroom where they can benefit from instructor's guidance and support. Meanwhile, the passive lectures become homework to be watched at home, as many times as needed, before the classroom activities. Traditional Class In Classroom Instructor-led Lecture → passive listening Flipped Classroom At Home At Home In Classroom Homework Video Lecture or Readings answering passive listening → Learner Activities active doing | | | | quietly sitting down is boring sparks learner questions, but no instructor to help video replays possible instructor and peers to assist and engage → time → → time → AN INSTRUCTIONIST FLIPPED CLASSROOM While the flipped classroom brings an emphasis to active learning, the model is trapped an outdated instructionist view of learning that is mismatched to contemporary learning theories (Harel Caperton, 2012), and the opportunities afforded by blending technology and classroom. Lecture Prior to Doing. The flipped classroom reinforces the misconception that lectures are required prior to engaging in active learning. That is a traditionally passive -1- instructional paradigm adopted in older instructionist classrooms. It does not have to be that way (Harel Caperton, 2012), and many classes do not follow the instructionist model. Active Learning Second. While the declared goal of the flip is to increase active learning, it primes an instructionist paradigm and passive lectures. The driving force ought to be increasing learner engagement and active learning rather than fitting an instructionist model first. Passive Technology. Then there's the Internet. The Internet invites interaction and communication. Why make the homework passive, especially on the web? Can't we find approaches that benefit from the potential afforded by the technology? CHALLENGES IN THE INSTRUCTIONIST FLIPPED CLASSROOM Unsurprisingly, the flipped classroom amplifies the challenges in the instructionist paradigm. Neglected Lectures. Lectures in instructionist classes can be boring, and the instructionist flip magnifies this (Nielsen, 2012). At home, beyond instructor sight, the temptation increases to disregard boring lectures and prioritize graded homework from other classes. As result, students often arrive in class unprepared, requiring redoing the lecture in class prior to activities. This neutralizes the flip and its advantages, but with heightened performance expectations on teachers remaining (Enfield, 2013; Lo & Hew, 2017). Disengaged Lectures. Instructor support during lectures at home is infeasible. Unlike in classroom, teachers are not present to recognize puzzled or bored students and adjust lectures accordingly. Student disengagement in the out-of-class learning can be a problem (Ash, 2012; Sams & Bergman, 2013; Thoms, 2012; Lo & Hew, 2017). Disconnected Doing. Lectures without activities increase fading and boredom. By the time activities are brought up in class, lecture details have become distant memories, precluding effective task completion without instructor intervention. Many ideas have been advanced to redesign the instructionist flipped classroom to address some of these challenges (e.g. Ralph, 2018; Miller, 2012). -2- ACTIVE LEARNING ALTERNATIVE: THE ACTIVE FLIP The active flip is an alternative model to the instructionist flipped classroom we have been experimenting with since 2011. The active flip incorporates contemporary learning theories and is focused on learner motivation, learner engagement, and learner-driven active learning. In active learning, learners are expected to be actively involved in their learning. In experiential learning, learning happens by doing (Dewey, 1938; Papert & Harel, 1991), and it does not require lectures. Discovery learning, learning by doing, the maker movement, and several other learning theories posit similar approaches. Learners actively engage in learning without lectures. Instructors and other instructional materials are helpful to motivate, engage, scaffold, assist, and challenge learners. These can be introduced in class, created online by instructors, or available as open educational resources (OER) or as materials in the wider web. The active flip builds on this view to bring a different type of flipped classroom, an experiential one focused on engagement and motivation. The active flip specifically side-steps the prerequisite to attend lectures at home prior to carrying activities in the classroom – a key weakness in the instructionist flipped classroom. Workshop Driven. In the active flip, learn is driven by doing. Students attend active workshops in the classroom. No prior lectures or readings are required. Instead, the workshop creates the motivation for seeking knowledge. Learning happens in the learner. Motivation Powered. Learner's learning motivation and engagement are critical. The workshop activities are selected for their perception as highly desirable by the learner. This intrinsic motivation is key to motivate interest in and out of the classroom. Designing desirable activities differs from preparing lectures and requires some experimentation. In particular, activities must include learner control and choice (Deci & Ryan, 2012; Ryan & Deci, 2017). Classroom On-Boarding. The activity in the classroom on-boards, engages, and scaffolds the learner into the activity. This is the spark that motivates the learning and lays the broad guideposts to orient the learner beyond the classroom. Classroom-Home Continuum. The activity does not have to be completed in the classroom, and it's often desirable to let students continue and further develop the activity at home using online scaffolding tools, templates, artifacts, and resources prepared by the instructor. -3- Learning Beyond the Class. This completion of the work at home creates an opportunity to augment the learning with additional readings and other materials – and with much more time and engagement. Moreover, this spurs the learner habit of pursuing further and beyond what the learner is introduced to in class (or elsewhere), boosting inquiry skills. confidence, and a lifelong habit for self-directed learning. Active Flip In Classroom At Home Follow Up Class (active doing) (active doing + learning for doing) (reflection + motivation) Initiates Learner Activities (onboarding) Learner → Completes Activities → (with scaffolding instruments) Optional Presentation or Follow Up Work | ↕ | Instructor scaffolds, focuses and motivates the activity, and resolves major/early sticking points Self-Initiated Readings, Video, and Other Materials Reflection, social motivation, pending questions, transition to next activity | The doing spurs interest or need into learning more to improve the doing → time → → time → Motivational Designs. Critical to the active flip is the appeal of the activity and the learner's desire to complete the activity. The strong appeal must create the desire to carry the activity beyond the classroom and engage with additional materials and subsequent activities. Scaffolding instruments and guides to assist the student at home play a critical role in further developing learning and sufficiently manage the challenge. Having students present their work in subsequent classes or social settings also tends to increase motivation and interest in showcasing good work. No one wants to get left behind. Teams. The activity does not have to be limited to individual work. Small teams can function equally well, with the added benefit of team motivation, peer- and collaborative learning and feedback, and the potential for larger and more complex challenges. Team -4- members do not have to hold the same roles and can work on the same or complementary tasks when appropriate. Varying individual vs. team activities and team composition is also beneficial. SIMPLER TO DESIGN The active flip does not require the effort imposed by the instructionist flipped and traditional classroom models, and especially not the same type. The active flip does not require preparing lectures, including for in-class delivery or for watching or reading at home. It doesn't preclude them either, and it can easily tap on any available resources, including informal learning sources and open educational resources (OER) available on the Internet that can enhance performing the activities. Comparing Flips Preparation In Class Traditional Prepare Classroom lesson plan and → create materials Passive Instructor-led lecture Create video lectures Flipped Classroom and readings; plan activities and create instruments Active Flip Plan activities and create instruments → Active Activities initiation → time → At Home → Homework → Passive Video lectures and readings → Active Complete activities + learning In Class → → → time → -5- Active In-class activities Active Presentation and discussion CONCLUSION The flipped classroom started a paradigm shift in education. However, the model is captive to an older instructionist view of learning and suffers from learners neglecting passive lectures at home prior to attending class. The active flip is an alternative that builds on contemporary learning theories, and relies on engagement and motivation to instigate the desire for learning. The active flip is simpler to design, avoiding requirements for video lectures and is able to tap on preexisting informal learning sources and open educational resources (OER). REFERENCES Ash, K. (2012). Educators view “flipped” model with a more critical eye. Education Week, 32(2), 6-7. Bergman, J. & Sams, A. (2012). Flip Your Classroom: Reaching Every Student in Every Class Every Day (1st Ed.). International Society for Technology in Education. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Motivation, personality, and development within embedded social contexts: An overview of self-determination theory. In R. M. Ryan (Ed.), Oxford handbook of human motivation (pp. 85-107). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan. Effield, J. (2013). Looking at the impact of the flipped classroom model of instruction on undergraduate multimedia students at CSUN. TechTrends, 57(6), 1427. Harel Caperton, I. (2012). 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