Insights into the Flipped Classroom

Mok Heng Ngee

What is it?

• Flipped or “inverted” classroom

• Motivation:– Classroom lectures are passive and boring– Would rather spend classroom time on active

learning activities

…What is it?

• Traditional:– Classroom time: lectures– Outside class: homework

• Flipped:– Outside class: lectures (usually videos)– Classroom time: active learning activities

…What is it?

• Implications:– Much more time for active learning activities– Does NOT mean more time required by students– Requires much more preparation by instructors– Students MUST attend the virtual lectures before

class!

What I did

• Context:– IS Year 1 Term 1: IS200 (programming I)– IS Year 1 Term 2: OOAD (programming II)– Both are core courses; IS200 is prereq to OOAD

• 2 major components in OOAD:– Programming– Program design principles

…What I did

• Term 3A this year:– 1 section of 44 students for OOAD• Half of them are repeat students• Half of them are doing it for the first time (they

repeated IS200 in term 2)

– Student makeup: not-so-talented programmers

Traditional OOAD Lesson• During class:

– Lectures interspersed with short programming exercises • After class:

– Longer programming exercises as homework, with model solutions (ungraded)

• Additional exercises:– Individual programming project (ungraded)

• Assessment: – Written quizzes, Lab tests, Written exam

My Strategy• Before class:

– Watch video lectures– Complete self-check quiz (about 4-5 MCQ/short answer

questions) in eLearn

• During class:– Any questions? (15 mins)– Pair programming (1.5 hrs)– Debrief for pair programming (15 mins)

• Other class activities:– Project presentations & critique– Short lecture on design principles + exercsies

…My Strategy

• Assessment:– Similar: Written exam (30%). Lab Test (30%)– Additional: Team programming project (30%)– Additional: Participation (10%)

Preparation

• Videos: – Prepared videos for 2/3 of the course lectures

(programming topics) YouTube (http://www.mokkie.com/flipped.htm)

• Self-check Quizzes:– Prepared quizzes for each video clip in eLearn

• Programming Exercises:– Compiled the in-class programming exercises + homework

programming exercises

Implementation

• First session:– Course admin– Briefed students on FC & PP– Traditional lecture (design topic)

• Subsequent sessions:– Flipped classroom

• Last few sessions:– Project work

Feedback

…Feedback

…Feedback

Limitations & Validity

• Section comprising group of special students• Done during term 3A – with very intense

schedule

Plus-Minus-Interest

• My observations:– Students come to class prepared– Students become more responsible for their learning– Diligent students use the videos as an “equalizer”– Fewer students get lost in class– Students are really engaged during PP sessions

• More time for active learning activities that really engage students

• Reusable• Scalable• Inexpensive

Plus-Minus-Interest

• Challenges:– How do you ensure that everyone • Really watches the video lectures?• And understands all the contents?

– Preparatory time• Clarity of lectures in videos matters

– Resistance to change

Plus-Minus-Interest

• Videos could be supplemented with other materials

• Particularly suitable for certain kinds of courses:– Fact-heavy & tedious content– Content that requires “digestion” (e.g. algorithms)

• Search for videos that you can “reuse”?

Call for Action

• Try incrementally instead of “big-bang”– Avoid perfectionism

• Lots of ideas for active learning activities available

• Get feedback from students and refine

• Keep in contact :)