The Flip Classroom

In a day and age where it seems like every person in the western world has a mini-computer in their pocket it is natural and necessary to think about how technology and the internet can enhance learning. The flip classroom uses rather simple technology, a camera and or microphone coupled with writing software, in order to create instructional videos that are available online for students. This resource allows for the ability to have students watch these videos at home as a way to free up class time. This free class time in principle is to be used for completing problems and assignments.

I think that video lectures can provide a lot of benefits for certain students. Not only can they be designed and edited to provide clear and optimized lectures, they also grant the ability to repeat, pause, and stop lectures which can help with comprehension especially for students who have a harder time keeping up with the pace in the classroom. Although I believe pre-made videos are a great resource that can help with comprehension, I do not think that a completely flipped classroom is the best way to use this resource as a way to enhance teaching.

One other benefit that the flipped classroom can provide is the ability to have a more dynamic classroom. Often times in order to meet curriculum demands teachers with more technical subject areas need to spend most of their class time covering material through lectures.  A static environment like this clearly limits students' ability to learn, however the alternative that the flip classroom provides isn't inherently dynamic. If this technology is used such that almost all class time is used for completing problems and assignments this also creates a rather static environment which can inhibit learning. For example as students become more accustomed to a less formal environment it may become increasingly difficult to ensure the class is focused. Further, assigning obligatory video homework assignments everyday can cause certain students who do less well with completing assigned work to fall behind very quickly in the material. It is also substantially more difficult to complete this homework for students who do not have computers at home and must arrange this required computer time into their schedule through provided services which is not always easy or fair. This kind of systematic computer-based homework creates a clear advantage for people who have computers at home.

I think most of the harm that come from having exclusively a flipped classroom or exclusively a traditional classroom can be mitigated by integrating components from both to create a comprehensive set of lesson plans for the entire duration of a course. If video resources are available for students generally they can make use of that resource if necessary, but in terms of assigning videos to watch for homework I think it should be used strategically and thoughtfully. I want to write more, but this is getting quite lengthy. Ultimately under the assumption that an optimal set-up would be a mix of both teaching strategies I think that technology more broadly gives teachers more tools to be able to change up the setting of their classrooms. Students have difficulty being taught the same subjects everyday in the exact same way and there are diminishing returns to any style of classroom. With technology it is much easier to integrate different ways of representing things such as through engagement and collaboration due to time gained from homework lectures or through the multitude of other ways in which technology can be used as a learning resource.