Flipped Learning Case Study: Research Methods in Communication Studies
Patrick Kelly, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
Based on an interview with Dr. Lisa Stowe, Department of Communication, Media and Film, Faculty of Arts.
March 13, 2018
Thoughts and Reflections
How would you describe your typical flipped classroom?
A typical flipped class starts with a Readiness Assessment Test (RAT) that tests the students on a selected reading for that week. Once the RATS are graded and returned we work through the questions together and I do a mini-lecture addressing any issues that students had with the test content. Once students are comfortable with the topic and concepts they engage in a case study where they have to develop strategies or address questions raised by the case study by applying the content covered in the RAT.
What was your motivation to get started with flipped learning? How did you start?
I wanted to bring some energy to research methods. It’s a class that has a reputation as being boring to an undergraduate student. And it can be boring if the instructor just walks through and explains the methods. The textbooks for methods are not that interesting either. The flipped model seemed to be the perfect fit. The RATS require students to come to class prepared and they also require students to engage deeply with the textbook readings. The case studies ask students to apply the concepts and ideas in a deeper, more self-directed and collaborative way. The only way to learn research methods is to do research methods so asking the students to take their knowledge gained by the RATS and then apply it to a real-world situation gets them doing research methods.
What were excited about? What were you concerned about?
I was excited about the case study and problem-based learning component of the flipped class. I love to see what students do when you let them apply their knowledge and experience to a classroom activity. I was concerned about creating a fair but challenging RAT.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you address it?
My biggest challenge was the logistics of the RATS. IT’s hard physical labour passing out tests, making sure students fill in the answer sheet correctly, collecting answer sheets, setting up students in groups while I mark the RATS, passing the RATS back and then going through the RATS and doing the mini-lectures. I’m exhausted after every flipped class.
What tips do you have for other instructors to engage students in flipped learning?
Don’t try and flip all of the classes in a course. Flip one or two classes to start and see how that works. Take the summer to prep the flipped classroom. It’s labour intensive to set up and I don’t think you can do it during the semester when you have other things going on.
Make the RATS worth a small percentage of the student’s grade and assign a small percentage to the case study or problem-based learning activity. I found when the case study or PBL component didn’t have a grade some students left after writing the RAT. Students have also said that they would also appreciate a reward for the labour they put into the case study and PBL sections.
The key to a successful flipped class is to return immediate feedback on the RATS to students. There’s a 10-minute turnaround for me to grade the students' RATS. They see the results within 15 minutes of completing the quiz. I think quick results are really important to creating that energy in a flipped class.
Once you are comfortable, don’t flip every class. Students will get bored with this learning experience and then the flip loses some of its energy. Flip maybe one or two classes a month and do other active learning for the other classes.
What was your biggest take-away from the experience?
Flipped classes do work – they do increase the energy of a class and they do help students engage with the material in a deeper and more personal way. Students are also willing to do a lot for a small percentage of their final grade. Sad but true.
What technology did you use in your flipped course?
I don’t use any special technology in the flipped class. In fact, I grade the RATS using an old-fashioned transparency that is an answer key like the one used by the students with the correct answers blacked out. To quickly grade the RATS you put the transparency on top of the student answer key to quickly see which questions are right and which ones are wrong. It takes me about 10 minutes to grade 40 student RATS and that includes recording their grades in D2L.
Resources:
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