How do we engage and inspire students/educators/learners to really learn, and then empower them with the belief that they can learn on their own (without needing to be always spoon-fed)?
Self-learning and learning how-to-learn are probably the two ultimate things we need master to survive and be successful in the 21st century, which will eventually be known as the...
Source (Webinar recording)
THE FLIPPING CHALLENGE!
Are you familiar with the Flipped Classroom approach to learning?
Here is a video to introduce you to the biggest global learning trend and buzz word in education for the last few years (besides MOOCs, which is probably the learning buzzword for 2012):
Here is a video to introduce you to the biggest global learning trend and buzz word in education for the last few years (besides MOOCs, which is probably the learning buzzword for 2012):
In one sentence: You view the lecture (recording) at home, and then you come to class to do the homework (or learning activities), whereby the teacher(s) (and fellow students) are there to provide guidance and support (when necessary) during the learning process. WOW!
Source (Infographic)
That sounds great for school-level learning, but what about higher education?
Jackie Gersteins masterpiece graphic below (and articles/resources) provides some great ideas on how to make it really work for higher education.
Jackie Gersteins masterpiece graphic below (and articles/resources) provides some great ideas on how to make it really work for higher education.
Source: Collection of resources/Articles from Jackie Gerstein
If you ask me, I would argue that the flipping Flipped Classroom challenge is not making your lectures available online (which many are already doing), but creating electrifying and inspiring learning experiences during the face-to-face (F2F) learning sessions itself that is the ultimate challenge (and differentiating factor to give you a competitive advantage).
Also, in higher education, especially at Master and PhD level should we be spoon-feeding students with lectures (recordings) telling or showing them A-Z, so that they can replicate (or vomit out) the same stuff during their exams or assignments?
Alright, after exploring for a few centuries, we finally get the lecture right (for what we are teaching)! What do we do with the students when they come for the F2F (or online) learning sessions?
To deal with this, you could for example keep track on who access the recorded lectures (especially if you are using a LMS) before class. However, clicking on a link doesnt mean that actual learning has taken place. However, having an online quiz after (or during) the recorded lecture could encourage more students to explore it, especially if it is a requirement to do it before the F2F session.
Adding a discussion forum, requiring for example all students to ask at least one question (or reflection) before class could help, too. Or you could construct a few online learning activities/challenges/assignments (e.g. WebQuest) to encourage students to think before the F2F session.
Finally, if you create sizzling online lectures, many students might even explore them without requiring any carrot or stick measures. The lecture becomes the carrot!
Designing inspiring Learning Spaces will increasingly be required as we want to move F2F (or online learning) learning sessions beyond the lecture format to empower more effective student learning experiences.
Changing the physical classroom is probably more complicated as that would also require extensive monetary investments and time to make it happen. Lets assume that you have your good old classroom or computer lab, which by nature might not be really conducive for interactive or collaborative learning (e.g. seating arrangement).
If you ask me, I would argue that we can still do learning miracles in a boring classroom setting if we stretch our imagination beyond our usual Blame everything else, except ourselves. So, what can we do during a Flipped Classroom session?
All these approaches above can be useful to empower more effective learning experiences. But, personally I want the students learning experiences to be more challenging, competitive, inspiring and fun, so I would...
Also, in higher education, especially at Master and PhD level should we be spoon-feeding students with lectures (recordings) telling or showing them A-Z, so that they can replicate (or vomit out) the same stuff during their exams or assignments?
THE LECTURE
I suppose it depends on what you are teaching, but we also need to rethink what the real purpose of the lecture should be, and how we can make best use of it to engage and inspire learning beyond the spoon-feeding paradigm.DONT MISS THIS LECTURE!
Alright, after exploring for a few centuries, we finally get the lecture right (for what we are teaching)! What do we do with the students when they come for the F2F (or online) learning sessions?
If the lecture recording is already online (hopefully not outdated!), I suppose repeating it during a F2F (or online) session would not be the most productive way to go about it, would it?
But, before we get into that, have your students actually gone through the lecture recording before the F2F session? I suppose so, I told them to do so (Keep on dreaming!).
You can assume that, but the reality is often very different unless you have infused some mechanisms to ensure that they view (and also understand) the recorded lecture(s) before they come to class.
Changing the students learning mindset (and habits) to explore lectures (or resources) online before class might take some time, especially if they are from the good old spoon-feeding paradigm.
Changing the students learning mindset (and habits) to explore lectures (or resources) online before class might take some time, especially if they are from the good old spoon-feeding paradigm.
To deal with this, you could for example keep track on who access the recorded lectures (especially if you are using a LMS) before class. However, clicking on a link doesnt mean that actual learning has taken place. However, having an online quiz after (or during) the recorded lecture could encourage more students to explore it, especially if it is a requirement to do it before the F2F session.
Adding a discussion forum, requiring for example all students to ask at least one question (or reflection) before class could help, too. Or you could construct a few online learning activities/challenges/assignments (e.g. WebQuest) to encourage students to think before the F2F session.
Finally, if you create sizzling online lectures, many students might even explore them without requiring any carrot or stick measures. The lecture becomes the carrot!
As you see there are many ways to get students on board in a flipped classroom approach, and if you explore your creative mind, I am sure you will figure out even better ways to activate your students brain to think before they come for class.
Cool! But, what should we do with them once they come...?
Cool! But, what should we do with them once they come...?
CLASSROOM LEARNING
“If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle. And if you wanted to change things, you might have to tear down both and start over.”
-John Media
Designing inspiring Learning Spaces will increasingly be required as we want to move F2F (or online learning) learning sessions beyond the lecture format to empower more effective student learning experiences.
Changing the physical classroom is probably more complicated as that would also require extensive monetary investments and time to make it happen. Lets assume that you have your good old classroom or computer lab, which by nature might not be really conducive for interactive or collaborative learning (e.g. seating arrangement).
If you ask me, I would argue that we can still do learning miracles in a boring classroom setting if we stretch our imagination beyond our usual Blame everything else, except ourselves. So, what can we do during a Flipped Classroom session?
- Q&A
Encourage students to ask questions to clarify what they didnt understand from the recorded lecture (or required readings). - Case Study (or Problem-Based Learning)
Yes, even Harvard uses Case Studies to empower deep learning and understanding of the subject matter. We could discuss a Case Study with the students, and even break up into groups to encourage more involvement and diverse opinions. - Learning Activities
Build learning activities to apply what has been learned in the lecture. Here students dont have to be stuck in the classroom. They could always be asked to venture out individually or in groups to the library, labs, outdoors, etc. and then return to share their discoveries and findings. - Online Classroom
If you cant afford the transformation of your physical classroom, you could always use a web-conferencing tool to engage students to learn using a variety of features (e.g. poll, whiteboard, chat, screen/application sharing, etc.). It is an alternate and cheaper solution that has no borders. - Etc.
I leave that to your imagination!
All these approaches above can be useful to empower more effective learning experiences. But, personally I want the students learning experiences to be more challenging, competitive, inspiring and fun, so I would...
GAMIFY CLASSROOM LEARNING!
