Internet Learning Volume 7, Number 1 • 2018/2019 | Page 27

Internet Learning Journal
those who participate in the UWG–
GAVS partnership is the realization that
teachers may transfer their knowledge
of the virtual classroom to enhance
the physical classroom experience by
integrating technology for increased
student achievement. Education students
who participate in the online field
experience in an active virtual public
school classroom recognize the value of
the opportunity. This is evident by their
forthcoming comments both during
and after the experience.
Flipped Classroom
A buzzword in education describes
the classroom that is flipped upside-down.
With this model, traditional
lecture-based classroom instruction
is done in short, topical videos of less
than fifteen minutes in length that are
shared online. At home, students watch
the videos, take notes, and learn at their
own pace by pausing or rewinding as
necessary. They are able to follow along
with supplemental materials, such as
their textbook or additional online resources.
They then come to class more
prepared and ready to engage in application
activities with teacher guidance.
In short, students are getting what used
to be presented in class at home now,
and thus doing their homework along
with cooperative activities in class.
During class, teachers have time to facilitate
cooperative learning and individualized
instruction. When students
complete their practice work in class
with the teacher’s direct guidance and
being more prepared, they are more
engaged in their learning because they
are actively working instead of passively
sitting and watching the live version
of what can alternatively be presented
via video ahead of time. Education majors
refer to specific information about
turning instruction upside-down found
in their course text Flip Your Classroom
(Bergmann & Sams, 2012). One of the
teachers who participated in the online
field experience wrote “I have already
begun creating video lectures. I will
spend time finding a way to implement
the flipped concept and addressing special
population[s of students]” (Course
Evaluation Comment, personal communication,
Spring 2016). Addressing
the diverse needs of individual students
is an important skill for teachers and a
learning outcome of the online field experience.
Differentiated Instruction
Regardless of whether instruction is in a
virtual or brick-and-mortar classroom,
including the use of teacher-made videos
allows educators to be more efficient
with instructional time, while using
a differentiated approach to benefit
unique needs of individual learners.
All students can benefit from pausing
or rewinding a video as they take notes
at their own pace; and that feature may
help to alleviate the boredom some
students feel as they wait for others to
catch up in a traditionally delivered lesson.
Advanced thinkers may watch the
video straight through to make better
use of their time.
Required accommodations may
be met through video-based instruction.
English Language Learners have
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