flipped classroom – a pedagogical model for active learning

FLIPPED CLASSROOM – A PEDAGOGICAL MODEL FOR ACTIVE LEARNING
Nadezhda Angelova1, Gabriela Kiryakova2, Lina Yordanova3
Abstract
The development of the information and communication technologies provides opportunities for implementation of new pedagogical models
and approaches in education. These models allow students to participate actively in the learning process - interact and collaborate with other
students and teachers. The aim of the current work is to present the benefits of one of the forms of blended learning - flipped classroom and
to research how it can be used as a means of shifting from passive to active learning .
Key Words: e-learning, blended learning, flipped classroom
1. INTRODUCTION
The development of the Internet and new communication and information technologies have created new
generation of users, called digital generation. The term describes those born between 1982 and 2002, who live in
constant touch with the latest technology and social media. They prefer tools working in multitasking mode and
permanent connectivity, characterized by active learning and collaboration. (Prensky, 2001), (McMahon, M.,
Pospisil, R., 2005) Scientists believe that the problem is not to get the attention of students, but the fact that they
have changed their needs and expectations. Standard stereotype of the classroom where the teacher plays a major
role is inappropriate and teachers should focus their efforts to provide a learner-centered environment and
include activities for active learning.
The pedagogical model flipped classroom reflects the change in the new generation of learners and allows more
dynamic and effective interaction. This model is one of the forms of blended learning.
The aim of the current work is to present the benefits of flipped classroom and to research how it can be used as
a means of shifting from passive to active learning. The presented software tools are designed to help teachers in
the creation of interactive video lessons and efficiently integrating them into the learning process.
2. NATURE OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL
By definition, the flipped classroom model is presented as a technology in which learning activities traditionally
carried out in the classroom are exported outside and vice versa. This model consists of two components and is
realized with two educational techniques - interactive active learning in the classroom and computer assisted
self-learning beyond. The essence of the model lies in the fact that students use specially selected and prepared
video lectures for self preparation and thus increases the time for communication between the teacher and
students in the classroom. (M.J. Lage and G. Platt, 2000)
2.1. Active learning methods
Active learning is a learning model that allows students to do something and think about what they do. There are
distinguished four main types of activities that promote active learning - individual activities, pair activities,
activities in small groups and activities (projects), bringing together large groups of learners. The teacher should
select the most appropriate activities to complete the specific goals and objectives determined for the course.
These types of active learning activities can be implemented successfully in a traditional classroom course,
blended course or online course created in LMS. (Zayapragassarazan, Z., Kumar, S., 2012)
2.2. Advantages and disadvantages of the model
Growing interest in this training model provokes researchers to explore and discuss the benefits and negatives of
its application ( Jon Bergmann, Jerry Overmyer and Brett Wilie, 2013), (7 things you should know about flipped
classrooms, 2012).
2.2.1. Benefits
 Allows devoting more time to study material according to individual pace and learning style of each
student, the resources can be viewed in multiple extracurricular times.
 Engaging learners and creating personal learning strategies depending on their progress.
 Students’ social skills are supported by strategies for active learning through cooperation and
collaboration that increase responsibility for their contribution to the group.
 Improve learning achievement. Based on surveys on the use of this learning model can be concluded
that students do better in tests and examinations. These results depend on many other criteria and
therefore the conclusion can not be confirmed for the model as a whole. (Jacob Lowell Bishop,
Matthew A Verleger, 2013).
 Better communication and interaction with teacher during lecture time. In this way, the teacher
will receive instant feedback on the student’s progress and help him to clear out which parts of the
lesson are difficult for them. The most common mistakes being made in the use of new material will be
track down and eliminate through discussion.
1
Trakia University, Faculty of Economics, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, nadja@uni-sz.bg
Trakia University, Faculty of Economics, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, gabriela@uni-sz.bg
3
Trakia University, Faculty of Economics, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, lina@uni-sz.bg
2

Allows creation and presentation of learning resources in a suitable form, recording lectures, video
on-screen demonstration of certain software, additional resources from video sharing platforms. Use of
scenarios for active collaboration, group or individual projects, taking notes in lectures or limit access to
the following resources in the course are part of the strategies for active learning. Preliminary
examination of the material is the basis for conducting Just -in -time teaching. The teacher requires its
students to read the resources at home and to come to lecture with knowledge that can be developed
during the class time.
 Continuous learning process - moving forward in the material, despite the absence of teacher or
learner. This allows students who are engaged in other activities or absent due to illness to monitor and
execute tasks in a timely manner.
 Economic benefits - major universities and educational institutions can support the traditional lecture
model with a large number of students in a lecture hall and make it more effective without the
introduction of seminars and dividing students into smaller groups. (Berrett, 2012)
2.2.2. Limitations
 Inability to apply to all subjects.
 Internet accessibility limitation. When applying this learning model the teacher should be aware if
students have access to the Internet in their homes and in the computer rooms in the institution.
Providing CDs with materials for self-study could be a solution of this problem.
 Lack of a sufficient number of computer labs. This limitation can be overcome by the initiative
BYOD (bring your own device). The availability of mobile devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones) and
a good Internet connection allow the teacher to make online collaboration with students during the
lesson. This learning strategy will help students to achieve skills how to study effectively using this
natural environment of mobility, communication and social media.
 More responsibility of the students in the learning process. Transforming learners from passive into
active users requires taking the main role in their learning process, being more responsible gives them
more freedom to experiment.
 Change in the way of teaching and acquiring new skills for teachers. They have to restructure and
adapt lectures to flipped classroom model, which forces them to adopt new technologies to create
resources for online presentation. Creating own their video tutorials challenge teachers to take a
different view of the teaching process. They should find the best way to convey the most important
lesson in the 5-6 minute video resources, to choose the most appropriate examples and plan time for
discussions, collective and individual work.
2.2.3. Important requirements for successful application of the model
According to some researchers (Miller, 2012) applying the flipped classroom model does not solve the problems
in education and can not be used without prior definition of goals and objectives that have to be achieved.
Teachers should use a pedagogical design and incorporate appropriate activities to assist the implementation of
the model:
 Motivation – it is not enough just to create video lectures, it is important to focus students’ attention to
the applicability of knowledge, to stress on the importance and benefits of learning. Opportunities for
implementing knowledge in real life will motivate them to learn.
 Engaging attention– using an instructional design to create a flexible course including a variety of
activities to engage students’ attention. Some of pedagogical techniques to stimulate active learning are
project-based learning (PBL), game-based learning (GBL), Understanding by Design (UbD).
 Technology – as the flipped classroom mainly consists of video lectures and resources it needs to
provide the necessary tools for recording audio and video media for communication and interaction
with the teacher. There are many software tools for creating audio and video materials and platforms
through which these resources can be transformed into interactive video tutorials with build-in
questions.
 Feedback- created video should provoke a reaction in the students so the teacher can receive an
immediate feedback to what extent this resource was useful and whether it has the intended impact for
acquiring new knowledge. Some platforms suitable for models allow statistical assessments and
monitoring success.
 Place and time–The development of mobile technologies and applications created an opportunity to
learn at a convenient time and place. The resources should be in an appropriate format and not too long
so the students not to be bored.
3. OUR EXPERIENCE
To test the benefits of a learning model it is necessary its application for a long period of time. Our team has an
experience in using interactive active learning methods and some of them will be represented in next parts.
3.1. Just-in-time teaching
The technology Just-in-time teaching (JiTT) is based on the following: before each session learners perform
Web-based tasks, which examine the level of assimilation of the learning materials. Students prepared separately
to be able to deal with the tasks. Teachers assess the level of students’ knowledge and become familiar with the
problem areas. Activities during the exercise are determined by results achieved in the execution of preliminary
tasks. Feedback is the basis of the technology JiTT. An important point is the active participation of learners and
their contribution to the presentation of the learning materials. The learners use Web tools in their preliminary
preparation on the topics for discussions with the lecturer. Our experience combined JiTT with an application of
a wiki system for creating a course for ICT subject. The students had to learn by themselves how to create wiki
pages and be responsible for writing the content. Individual tasks have been successful in acquiring knowledge
and skills in the curriculum as well as group works. It has been proven that the education efficiency does not
depend on the used technology but on the methods of training which are applied. When learners are more active
the training itself improves. An active learning environment in which students participate in the presentation of
the material and interact with both the teacher and each other is much more effective than traditional, in which
the active side is the teacher and students are passive. (Angelova N., L. Yordanova, G. Kiryakova, Y.
Tzvetanova, 2006)
3.2. QR codes
QR code is a marker tool of Augmented Reality. The code can contain a variety of information, such as
additional data supporting the learning process, locations of objects, videos, school initiatives and others. Using
QR codes in Biostatistics course led to a better level of students’ knowledge. Each code contains embedded link
to a video tutorial created by our team and uploaded to YouTube. The students can scan the codes by their
mobile devices and watch videos. This provoke their interest in QR technology and besides knowledge of the
particular discipline they acquire skills to work with this tool of augmented reality. 77% of students agree that it
is a good learning tool, which is a matter of interest and innovation. About the usage of specific learning
resources 67% of the students conclude that their access to educational content is easy, but only 26% prefer it for
every day. (Pencheva Al., N. Angelova, L. Yordanova, H. Mitev, 2014)
3.3. Screen casting
Including video lessons with demonstrations of practical tasks using MS Excel and MS Access, increazed the
students’ success in the disciplines of Informatics and Biostatistics. Although flipped classroom model was not
fully implemented, these video resources have been very useful for students’ self-training. The survey carried out
among them cleared out that they prefer video tutorials lasting between 5 and 10 minutes, and the average
number of replays is between 1 and 2. Concerning quality of the videos students reported that these resources are
interesting and understandable. The appropriately way tutorials are served prompted them to use the power of
Web 2.0 technologies in their learning process. Next step ahead is to incorporate more interactivity inside the
videos. A solution for that is including questions at any time of the video to provide feedback not only for
students but also for the teacher. At the moment resources are uploaded in LMS Moodle using the opportunities
of lesson activity for interaction and creating branches for learning paths. (Angelova, N., L. Yordanova, 2014)
4. FREE SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR CREATING LESSONS SUITABLE FOR FLIPPED CLASSROOM
MODEL
Besides Moodle there are a number of other online based platforms that offer functionality for creating lessons
including video resources. In addition there is an opportunity for adding text information explaining the lesson,
tools for taking notes while watching it, build in questions during the video or at the end demanding answers
from students. This allows tracking the learning progress and makes students active participants in their own
learning process.
Next list of some online platforms, we recommend, will help teachers to build video lessons suitable for flipped
classroom model:
EduCanon is a tool for creating interactive video tutorials, including questions at some point in the execution of
the video. Teachers can create their courses and enroll students thus have the opportunity to track their
performance. (EduCanon)
Teachem is a platform based on the Ted-ed model. Users can create lessons based on videos from YouTube and
teachers can add comments using flash cards or ask questions during the video. The platform allows teachers to
create their own class with different status of accessibility (public, private) and to determine which users can
view video tutorials. Collaboration with other teachers and users is also available. (Teachem)
VideoNotes is an extremely easy and convenient tool that connects to Google Drive and allows taking notes
while watching videos on YouTube. Provides an opportunity for collaboration and sharing like simple Google
document. Teacher can use it as an assignment for students for individual or group work. (VideoNotes)
Bluebbr is a simple and easy to use online tool transforming a selected video clip from YouTube into interactive
video lesson by adding multiple choice questions. The users receive an immediate feedback and can compare the
results of different participants who watched the video lesson and have answered the questions. (Blubbr)
Zaption is a platform for creating interactive video tutorials, including videos, slides, text and questions that
may appear during the lesson in different places. Used video clips are from YouTube, Vimeo, PBS, or National
Geographic. Offers the ability to track the activity and success of the participants. (Zaption)
EdPuzzle is a platform uses video resources from Khan Academy, Ted, Vimeo, TeacherTube, Learn Zillion etc.
There are two types of users – a teacher and a student. Teachers can create lessons, courses, assignments and
monitor the students’ participation and success. Created video tutorials can be shared and embedded in other web
environments (eg LMS) and can be viewed in a guest mode. Thus eliminates the requirement of registration in
different platforms, but disables possibility for tracking and monitoring. (EdPuzzle)
Figure1: Embeded video lesson into a Moodle course
BlendSpaces – This platform provides the ability to create interactive video tutorials by incorporating elements
from various sources, text and quizzes. When participant reviews a lesson there is an opportunity to comment
and evaluate it by ratings (buttons “like” and “dislike”). The platform provides statistics about the number of
views for each lesson, duration of viewing and students’ success. The teacher can assign resources and students
to his courses created in the platform. The ability to embed resources makes them an universal tool for
publishing in various places on the web. (BlendSpaces)
Advantages of online platforms for creating lessons for the flipped classroom model:
 free, web based
 user friendly interface, drag&drop;
 creating courses and assigning students;
 using different types of resources – text, pictures, videos, questions;
 sharing and embedding in web;
 immediate feedback
 tracking progress of assigned students;
 reusing video tutorials created by other teachers in the platform;
 interactivity - disruption of the video at a certain point in response to a question;
Disadvantages
 Inability for export, standards are not supported;
 Some platforms require registration to be able to solve quizzes.
 Inability to transfer the marks from these platforms to LMS.
5. CONCLUSIONS
Exploring the students’ attitude to this kind of training by using surveys among students in our university can
make the following conclusions:
 In general most students prefer video lectures comparing with traditional way of teaching – 68%.
 There is a small group of students who do not like to watch videos – they are getting tired, not able to
concentrate, prefer to listen to the speaker and others. We think these students are persons that do not like
changes in general and they are afraid of taking responsibility.
Reversing the activities in the classroom and beyond are not always accepted easy and immediately by the
students. For many reasons some of them prefer the old methods of teaching to which they are accustomed. For
example, realizing that this method will require more effort from them; do not have sufficient motivation to
learn; it is not easy for them to meet the changes and challenges in their life. The existence of such category of
students requires the transition to this model of training to be realized gradual and smooth. Good practice is a
systematic use of tests before each lecture as an assessment of the previous and current topic. That requires the
teacher to preset a task for students to look for resources on the next topic. The next step is giving a well
prepared materials and a list of major issues of the topics for discussion for the next lecture or exercise.
The flipped classroom model provides opportunities for active learning and is in line with the new requirements
of digital native students. The model improves students’ learning achievement. The activities‘flipping brings up
the communication between the teacher and students on a higher lever and provides more time for discussions
during lessons. Successful application depends on the skills of the teacher to include a variety of active learning
activities to engage the attention and stimulate motivation of students. The reviewed software tools support
teachers in creating interactive video tutorials and enhance the interest of students to the latest web technologies.
6. REFERENCES
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http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-flipped-classrooms
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