What is a flipped classroom?

We hear a lot about the flipped classroom in universities around the world. But it is not a completely new idea. The university invented it a few centuries ago: in a seminar, students are asked to read a text or an article before discussing it in class. The flipped classroom generalizes this principle.

Flipping a class means reversing the ordinary way of teaching: students are exposed to the content before the class in order to practice, apply the concepts and thus to verify their good understanding.

The flipped classroom is not:

• A synonym for online videos
• Replacing the teacher with videos
• An online course
• Students working without structure
• Students spending the entire class looking at screens
• Students working alone.

The flipped classroom is:

• a way to increase classroom interaction and personal contact between students and teachers
• an approach that encourages students to take responsibility for their learning
• a class where the teacher accompanies the learning process rather than just transmits knowledge
• a teaching environment where students who are absent for the right reasons are not left behind
• an environment where all content is archived and can be consulted at any time
• a classroom where students are engaged in their learning
• a place where each student can get targeted and personalized help.

An example: writing an article review

Before the class

The teacher creates a guide detailing the criteria for "what is a good review" on a scientific article. He/she distributes the guide to the students and asks them to read the article for which he/she wants them to make a review.

During the class

Students are asked to write an article review in pairs. The teacher goes around to the pairs to help with the writing.

After class

The reading cards created are uploaded on the teaching platform and are evaluated by other students. Students improve their reviews based on the feedback they receive.

The flipped classroom supports active learning

The flipped classroom is the implementation of active learning. The student is active throughout the process, since he/she must participate and be involved in the appropriation of the content as well as in the experimentation and sharing in class.

The "flipped classroom" carries the message "it is the student who learns"; it aims first and foremost to create the right conditions for this learning."

Technology has accelerated the spread of the flipped classroom. Massive open online courses are based on a flipped classroom principle by making content available in the form of video clips or multimedia content. The key advantages generally cited are total flexibility in learning the content and the possibility for each student to study the material at his/her own pace.

For the student:

• Exchange with other students and the teacher
• Check his/her understanding
• Apply concepts, test your abilities
• Learn at your own pace.

For the teacher:

• Motivate students with interactive activities
• Motivate students with multimedia content
• Detect mistakes in students' reasoning
• Provide a more personalized learning support.

Important to know

Implementing a flipped classroom can be time consuming for both the teacher and the students. It is recommended to start small and not to generalize the approach to an entire course, department or faculty from the beginning. It is important to think carefully beforehand about the parts of a course or the concepts for which it would be useful to reverse the teaching (see "How to set up a flipped classroom?").

Five steps and questions to ask yourself before implementing a flipped classroom in your teaching

Step 1: Identify where the flipped classroom approach makes the most sense in your teaching

• What are the sessions in your teaching where you rarely have time to finish the planned content and that involve students applying knowledge?
• What concepts or topics in your courses do students struggle with the most based on your experience or exam results?
• What topics would your expertise best guide students in classroom activities?

Step 2: Set aside time in class to engage students in knowledge application activities by giving them feedback

One of the keys to the flipped classroom is to provide learning challenges that are appropriate but also sufficiently challenging for students. You can then exercise your expertise as a coach or guide the student with comments or feedback appropriate to their level of learning.

Step 3: Clarify the balance between in-class and out-of-class learning

• What do I want my students to know or be able to do when they have completed the teaching-learning sequence? How does this sequence fit into my overall course?
• How much of what is required outside of class (homework) could be used in class to help students apply the content and practice? What in the content that I teach in class is being rushed through due to time constraints?
• What practice do students need in the class that prepares them for the exam they will take at the end of the course? Will students be able to make the connection between what is done in class and the exam?
• What content do students need to know before class to successfully engage in the learning activities in class?

Step 4: Tailor your material for students in preparation for classroom activities

• What reading material will be appropriate for my students' level (book chapter, article)
• What online videos or audio content can help achieve my course learning outcomes (podcast, videos, online lecture, simulation, demonstrations, etc.)?

Recommendation: keep it simple at first by relying on your own resources or existing online material instead of creating your own. If you have time, you can explore online content that can supplement what you already have.

You should also make sure to:

• Make students responsible for the content they need to know before class and for any tasks that help their understanding of the content
• Provide students with the means to self-assess the required knowledge, including the creation of quizzes on the Moodle platform that allow for immediate feedback
• Provide students with the means to ask questions about the content they are learning outside of class.

Step 5: Extend learning outside the classroom through individual or group exercises

Students gain experience by applying content in class, but they also need additional practice after class. Extending what happens in class outside of class is a crucial step in students achieving mastery of learning outcomes. Here are some ideas on how to do this:

• Use teaching platform forums or social media to elaborate on ideas developed in class.
• Put additional exercises on the teaching platform for students to practice individually. The moodle platform can be used to set up peer review exercises where students are asked to assess each other's written work based on pre-established criteria.
• Create exercises that allow students to apply the content in different contexts or new situations.
• Recommend further reading on the topic.
• Encourage students to create informal learning groups.
• Develop peer-led groups to work on additional problems.