Flipped About the Flipped Classroom?

Five years ago, high school chemistry teachers Jonathan Bergman and Aaron Sams purchased software to record lessons missed by absent students.  The online videos grew in popularity among students who had missed the lecture and those that had not.  When Bergman and Sams rethought their teaching structure and enabled students to watch lessons for homework while using class time for more one-on-one guidance, “the flipped classroom” was born.

Since we posted this infographic describing the main principles behind the flipped classroom, we at The Science Muse has been intrigued by the concept and we wanted to do a little research.  By allowing students to watch a lecture outside of the classroom, you can free up precious in-class hours to tackle difficult problems, collaborate in groups, and offer additional instruction to pinpoint failures in communication.

With any educational reform, it’s critical to weigh the benefits and the drawbacks.

Benefits of the flipped classroom:

• Teachers can create educationally entertaining videos to capture student attention instead of having students absorb through text books and homework problems.
• Students receive instant feedback in class as they are problem solving.
• Students are not as frustrated because they can ask questions immediately and work through confusion. Teachers can revisit concepts that trip-up students and reform the pace of the lesson plan based on feedback.
• Students do not have to rely on parents or potentially inaccurate internet sources to work through tough problems.
• Teachers can cater to students with different learning styles and offer more one-on-one time.