Flipped Learning Case Study: Introduction to Biochemistry
Ashley Weleschuk, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
Based on an interview with Dr. Isabelle Barrette-Ng, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences.
June 12, 2018
Thoughts and Reflections
How would you describe your typical flipped classroom?
Students are divided into groups of five or six at the start of the course. Isabelle uses a software to make diverse groups with varied skills and experiences. There is often initial resistance from students about the teamwork, because many have had bad experiences with uncooperative groups. They spend the first week of classes team building, creating a contact and agreeing on what happens when a member breeches the contract. They also establish learning goals and outline how they will help and support one another. The groups complete their first activity at the end of the first week, an ungraded review of basic biology and chemistry. This review helps student prepare for the course content, but it also introduces the format and expectations for in-class activities.
Before coming to class, students do some short readings or listen to a couple of 5-7 minute podcasts explaining course content. In class, they complete quizzes, both individually and as a group. The following class is dedicated to reviewing the quizzes and figuring out where students were having trouble. Isabelle gives her students a mini-lecture if there is a particularly challenging concept. They spend the rest of their time applying the content in problem-solving activities. Isabelle creates interesting scenarios that apply biochemistry concepts into areas of student interest, like medicine and nutrition. Questions become more challenging as the course progresses and are designed to be highly debatable. Students have to be able to rationalize and defend their answers, not just memorize concepts, which requires higher levels of understanding.
What was your motivation to get started with flipped learning? How did you start?
Isabelle started flipping her classroom for several reasons. She was concerned about the lack of engagement in such a difficult, memorization-heavy course. She saw her students drop the course or break down during exams because of how overwhelmed they felt. It was time for the course to be re-evaluated and redeveloped. Using student feedback, she created new course learning objectives. Students do not care about memorizing reactions and pathways that they will ultimately forget a few weeks after the course. Instead, they are interested in how the pathways apply to real life and interesting cases.
She started by finding “flippable” moments in the course. There are certain sections of the content that students tend to struggle with every year. Isabelle found that she had students coming to her office asking the same questions. She flipped these sections because it gave students the control to figure things out on their own. They could answer their own questions. She slowly flipped further sections and eventually had an entirely flipped course. She has now been teaching flipped classes for several years.
What was exciting? What was concerning?
The flipped learning environment is far more energetic and engaged than traditional biochemistry lectures. Isabelle thoroughly enjoys being present and listening to students discuss and think deeply about the material. Students no longer resent the class and have fun learning.
More students are able to thrive with support from their peers. It can be easy to feel isolated or alone on such a large campus, so having a group that you know you can rely on is so beneficial. These groups become support networks outside of class too. Students end up working together in other classes and building lasting friendships. The groups also support a broader range of student engagement. Many students do not like speaking out in front of a class of 200, but are happy to speak openly, ask questions, and debate within a group of five students.
There are always concerns when a course is completely changed and when group work is introduced. Dedicating time to being clear about expectations really helps students understand what the class will be like. The time dedicated to team building also helps ease some of the worries about group work. Students tend to relax and get into the class after the first few weeks. Friction is normal in groups, but having the team building opportunities at the start of the semester gives students the tools to manage it on their own and prevent major conflicts. There was also a concern that less content would be able to be covered and that students would leave the course unprepared for further courses and work. Instead, Isabelle has found she is covering more content and students are remembering more, since it is actually meaningful to them.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you address it?
Students tend to be unfamiliar with flipped methods and show some initial apprehension. They are focused on getting good grades and are worried that they will not be able to achieve them in a flipped class. Showing them the effectiveness relieves these concerns. Isabelle has collected data on both student experience and performance from both the flipped and traditional class. By flipping the class, the rate of failure and withdrawing has gone from around 20% to less than 2%. More students have gotten As in the flipped classroom. This data catches students’ attention. The realized that flipped learning is a tool meant to help them. Isabelle wants to make sure students know that she is there to support their learning and that she wants them to succeed. Over time, students get more comfortable in the course and see flipped learning work, they engage even further.
What tips do you have for other instructors wanting to engage students in flipped learning?
Mindfulness is incredibly important when flipping a class. Being respectful and transparent with students are keys, according to Isabelle. Their learning is at the center of the course, so there needs to be open and honest conversations with them throughout the semester. A positive learning environment starts with the instructor.
Isabelle believes that team building is essential when group work is involved. Students need to trust one another in order to effectively work together. Sacrificing a few days of content is worthwhile to ensuring that the rest of the course runs smoothly.
She also recommends starting small with flipped learning to prevent instructor and student burnout. Seeing how one topic or chapter works in a flipped format can help make further flips easier. An entirely flipped class can be more stressful and overwhelming to both the students and to the instructor if sufficient preparation is not done, which takes away from the goals of flipped learning.
What was your biggest take-away from the experience?
Isabelle is truly passionate about flipped learning and sharing its benefits. She does not think she will ever go back to traditional lectures for her courses. Although it takes a lot of work, the positive benefits make going to class each day both fun and fulfilling. Not only are students learning the content, they are learning how to learn.
Assessment and Technology
How did you assess students in the class? Were there any differences from a traditional class?
The biggest shift in assessments was that Isabelle no longer assesses students’ memorization. They are required to memorize only the very basics, and everything else is provided on data tables. Isabelle notes that most practicing biochemists do not have every single pathway and reaction memorized, and since students tend to forget them anyways, there is no real point in teaching that way. Instead, she gives students exams that are similar to the high-level problem-solving questions that are used in the course. This has helped improve student confidence and performance on exams and overall in the course.
Group work is also assessed. Whenever quizzes are given, students first do them individually and then in their teams. The questions tend to be highly debatable, so students have to be able to defend their answer choices to their teams. This helps students develop a deeper understanding of the material. They cannot just know; they also must know why.
What kind of technology do you use?
The biggest form of technology used in the course is podcasts. Isabelle records podcasts based around course material that students listen to and watch before coming to class. She uses different platforms such as Camtasia to record both audio and visual screen recordings. Podcasting and recording platforms can be challenging to get started with, but she has found them to be a helpful learning tool. She outlines difficult concepts, draws out visuals, and solves problems in these podcasts, much like she would in a traditional lecture. Students are able to pause, rewind, and re-watch each one as much as they need. They have more independence and control over their learning. Blank notes are provided with each podcast and students are encouraged to write along as they listen. It takes some time at the beginning to create each podcast, but Isabelle has found that if podcasts are done correctly, they can be re-used year after year. She notes that she used to have huge lines of students asking the same questions during her office hours, but now the podcasts answer those questions and fewer students need to come for help.
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