Flipped Learning Case Study: Pragmatics of Learning and Teaching

Patrick Kelly, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning 

Based on an interview with Dr. Amy Burns, Werklund School of Education.

January 18, 2018

Thoughts and Reflections

How would you describe your typical flipped classroom?

A typical class in EDUC 430 consists of extensive small group discussion around readings and topics. Students are provided multiple options with regard to readings and not all of these options are in print. Students are encouraged to engage with video and other professional texts outside of the academic realm. Activities encourage students to teach one another and connect their learning to their pre-conceived notions of Education, challenging the bigger idea of what is Education for?

What was your motivation to get started with flipped learning? How did you start?

I was motivated to examine flipped learning through a community of practice as I wanted to implement it and see its impact on student engagement. Once in the community, I was pleased to learn that my personal very narrow view of flipped learning had both similarities and differences to others. I also found that I was already implementing many of the common flipped learning strategies.

What were excited about? What were you concerned about?

I was very excited about the potential for student engagement. From my 15+ years as a K-12 educator and leader, I knew that engaging students in their own learning was the key to helping them see how that learning would impact their lives.  I wanted to see this type of student engagement in my postsecondary courses as well.  I was most concerned about the idea of making endless videos of lectures students would watch at home but as it turns out, that is not really the essence of flipped learning.  It is so much more. It is about a way of engaging with students that allows them some control in the way they undertake scholarship of the discipline. It is also about students engaging with one another and developing connections, both academically and socially.  Using small group discussions, communities of practice and peer teaching are all elements of flipping your classroom.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you address it?

My biggest challenge for flipped learning was convincing myself that I did not have to make endless videos and that I didn’t have to do it all at once. It is okay, in fact perhaps preferable, to consider one element such as providing choice in readings and start there.  Students need to become acclimated to this way of learning as well as the instructor.

What tips do you have for other instructors to engage students in flipped learning?

My biggest tip to other instructors is to learn first what flipped learning is and is not. I wonder how many of us out there are interested but, because we have a narrow view of what this means, we shy away. Take the time to learn what flipped learning can offer you and your students.

What was your biggest take-away from the experience?

My biggest takeaway from the flipped learning experience was that it will make a difference to the way that your students engage with the material and with you. Once I allowed the students to drive more of the class and let go of the PowerPoint, at least some of the time, the connections and insights they made were inspiring.

What technology did you use in your flipped course?

I didn’t use any special technology. In fact, my experience with flipped learning led me away from technology and towards personal interaction.

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