What is flipped learning?

Traditionally, when we think of teaching and learning, we envision students going to class and listening to the instructor lecture on a new topic, then going home to apply that new information by solving problem sets or writing responses or producing written assignments.

With flipped learning, the work of gaining new knowledge is done at home, where students complete assigned readings, watch pre-recorded video lectures, YouTube videos, or the equivalent, and prepare questions to ask the instructor in class or on a discussion board. Class time is then dedicated to a brief review of the material to check for clarification, but mostly it is spent doing an interactive activity where students are asked to produce work that shows how much they understood the knowledge they've gained. Students can work individually or in small groups, and the teacher acts as a facilitator or mentor to guide and/or challenge the student. To assess whether the student has actually learned the material, the teacher can collect the work that they've produced in the class activity.

This is a common way to see flipped learning. Outside of class, before the lesson, students prepare to participate in class activities. In class, during the lesson, students practice applying the key concepts they prepared for with feedback from the instructor. They produce work that can be collected and informally assessed by the instructor. Once the lesson is over, outside of class, they check their understanding and extend their learning through major assignments.

Bloom'x taxonomy of learning is essentially a framework that helps us as educators conceptualize the types of learning that students do. There are 6 categories, from least to most cognitively demanding: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

This is a common way to explain and conceptualize the six categories in Bloom's Taxonomy. If we understand that remembering and understanding are two of the least demanding categories of learning, what would be more interesting for us as educators to try and intervene? That's why class time might be best dedicated to activities that require students to apply, analyze, evaluate, or create.

Here's a sample flipped learning plan for a week.

• Sample flipped learning plan

Flipped learning may take a bit of adjustment for you and for your students. For you, it may be a matter of restructuring how you plan class time. For students, you'll have to help them understand that they need to be prepared for class, and that they will be in class doing things, and this will be especially true for an online learning environment.

For ideas on how to make your lectures and class activities more engaging, check out Engaging Activities for All Dynamics.