The WRX: A different model of flipped learning( continued)
YEARS 7 – 12 IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM
The WRX: A different model of flipped learning( continued)
I decided that after 30 years of teaching students it was time to take on the challenge or give it away. So now the premise of my flipped learning model is to explain the concept in 300 seconds, hence ' Chem300 '. I started the process a year ago and have formalised it with the start of the new Stage 6 Chemistry. Having first introduced students to shorter videos which they could do more regularly, my current HSC cohort have become much more regular watchers and more prepared for lessons. During their exit interviews from the Preliminary course last year, I asked several questions obliquely referring to the change in structure of the lessons. Two of these related to the use of ICT and the balance between practical work and theory. A summary of the feedback can be seen in figure 2.
Figure 2: Snapshot from exit survey of 2017 Preliminary Chemistry class
Comparing this group with previous groups, two things were interesting; the high proportion of responses indicating a strong emphasis on practical work, which was one of the goals, and the perceived effectiveness of the integration of ICT. Note, the first option for each question was set as the correct one, but the ' proportion answered correctly ' statistic is irrelevant here. The key factors for me were the numbers. Current sample sizes are small, but this data is intended to be collected each year for comparison and the trend is certainly a good one.
When I began creating a new suite of videos for the 2018 Year 11 Chemistry course, I thought it was worth restructuring everything I was doing. A graphics tablet is an expensive but incredibly useful tool for this process. A slightly better quality microphone has also addressed some issues with sound in the earlier videos. In order to cut the videos down in length, I have reduced the number of worked examples as these take too long, and I have tried to leave each video with something unsaid which can be explored in class. This approach has made it much more focussed for the Year 11 chemists as they arrive at class with questions, and we can get straight into the investigations.
It is very hard to evaluate a course after such a short period of time, and already my colleagues and I are feeling the challenges of time and depth for the new courses. This is the strength of the flipped approach. Once recorded, students can go back over videos whenever they want, as often as they want. They are a great tool for absent students, students preparing for examinations and students who need more time to grasp a concept. More importantly, I spend less time at the front of the class talking and more time assisting students with experimental work and determining how to write the spdf notation for copper. This is exactly what I want to focus on during class time.
As a component of the depth study, I will require students to produce an audio summary of their investigations through guided learning goals and success criteria. This gives the students a chance to develop this skill for themselves and appreciate the challenges associated with delivering information in this format. Empathy can be a very effective teacher. With pressure on Science teachers to cover lots of content, including some very challenging concepts, it is critical that we devote as much time as possible to doing Science in our classrooms and less time talking about it. A flipped learning model is one of the most effective ways I have found of reclaiming the lesson for real Science and using the time to better understand the progress of my students along their learning journey.
References
Herreid, C. F., & Schiller, N. A.( 2013). Case Studies and the Flipped Classroom. Journal of College Science Teaching, 42( 5), 62-66.
Jensen, J. L., Kummer, T. A., & Godoy, P. D.( 2014). Improvements from a Flipped Classroom May Simply Be the Fruits of Active Learning. Life Sciences Education. Retrieved from http:// www. lifescied. org / content / 14 / 1 / ar5. full
Schultz, D., Duffield, S., Rasmussen, S. C., & Wageman, J.( 2014). Effects of the Flipped Classroom Model on Student Performance for Advanced Placement High School Chemistry Students. Journal of Chemical Education, 91( 9), 1334-1339.
Tucker, B.( 2012). The Flipped Classroom. Education Next, 12( 1).
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