Flipped Classroom

Imported and adapted from the original UBC blog post.

Original source: UBC Blog post

When learning happens before class, class time can be used to solve related problems.

Why use a flipped classroom?

Learning is not complete unless the material is applied in an exercise. Class time is limited, and having students learn basic concepts before class allows more time for problem-solving. I also believe that guiding students through problem-solving is often more conducive to learning than a lecture that simply gives the answer.

Common questions raised about flipping the classroom

Do tutorials and labs already handle problem-solving? Not all courses have tutorial sessions. In addition, why should the instructor be deprived of witnessing students’ “aha” moments, which often occur during problem-solving? In a flipped classroom, the instructor can lead the class through problems while teaching assistants provide support.

Would professors still be needed if lectures were replaced by videos? I would be surprised if an entire course could be flipped. There will always be material that is better explained in person. One major benefit of videos, however, is that students can watch and replay them until they grasp a concept.

Evidence of student engagement

I started using video tutorials in my courses in 2009. I created screen-capture tutorials for Econ 490 (Gender, Population and Health) and posted them on YouTube.

These tutorials were designed to support student research by reviewing lectures on statistical software such as STATA and discussing other research tools, including access to data sources through the UBC library.

Video tutorials are especially useful in courses where students need to practice and review software commands closer to the time when data are accessed or software is used. For one tutorial linked to an assignment, a class of only 44 students viewed the video more than 100 times, and viewership rose just before the final paper due date.

This pattern illustrates one of the central advantages of flipped or partially flipped teaching: students can revisit instructional material when they need it most.