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Education

What’s the ‘Flipped Learning’ Model That’s Revolutionizing How Kids Are Taught Across the Country?

Jan. 29, 2013 7:25am Erica Ritz

Flipped Learning Model Brings the Lecture Home, Homework in Class: Revolutionizing Learning

Teacher Crystal Kirch, center, talks to her students in her pre-calculus class at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana, Calif. , Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. (Photo: AP)

As Americans determine the best way to educate the next generation, tackling issues like school choice and teachers unions, a revolutionary change in how students are taught is underway in certain parts of the country. Simply put– the lecture becomes homework, and “homework” is done in class.

Aaron Sams, who helped pioneer “flipped learning,” explains how it all got started:

“The way I got started doing this is I just started recording my lessons live for my students who were missing class, and posting those online for them as a resource. They get to access it when they want to — and that could be 10 o’clock at night, 6 o’clock in the morning, could be the bus to the soccer game, they have control of that.

“Students would watch those before they came to class, then class time was work time, engaging in some higher order of thinking, so we didn’t have to use our class time for direct instruction…

“If a student is a fast learner, they can go through the material as quickly as they want. The slower learners, the students who struggle, they have control over the rate at which they learn the material. They can pause the teacher, they can rewind the teacher, they can view it multiple times…”

Noah Reyes, 11th grader, watches as teacher Crystal Kirch solves a problem in a pre-calculus class at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. (Photo: AP)

Sams said the result is that his science classroom now looks like a “circus of learning,” with students tackling various projects inside the classroom, having already learned most of the material.

Though the number of “flipped” teachers is hard to ascertain, the online community Flipped Learning Network now has 10,000 members, up from 2,500 a year ago, and training workshops are being held all over the country, said executive director Kari Afstrom.

Under the model, teachers make eight- to 10-minute videos of their lessons using laptops, often simply filming the whiteboard as they make notations and recording their voice as they explain the concept. The videos are uploaded onto a teacher or school website, or even YouTube, where they can be accessed by students on computers or smartphones as homework.

Class time is then devoted to practical applications of the lesson — often more creative exercises designed to engage students and deepen their understanding.

“It’s a huge transformation,” said Kirch, who has been taking this approach for two years. “It’s a student-focused classroom where the responsibility for learning has flipped from me to the students.”

“The first year, I was able to double the number of labs my students were doing,” Sams noted. “That’s every science teacher’s dream.”

Watch his promotional video, which also includes a note on how he tackles tests and exams, below:

In the Detroit suburb of Clinton Township, Clintondale High School Principal Greg Green converted the whole school to flipped learning in the fall of 2011 after years of frustration with high failure rates and discipline problems. Flipping yielded dramatic results after just a year, including a 33 percent drop in the freshman failure rate and a 66 percent drop in the number of disciplinary incidents from the year before, Green said. Graduation, attendance and test scores all went up. Parent complaints dropped from 200 to seven.

Green attributed the improvements to an approach that engages students more in their classes.

“Kids want to take an active part in the learning process,” he said. “Now teachers are actually working with kids.”

But the concept has its detractors. Some question whether flipped learning would work as well with low achieving students, who may not be as motivated to watch lessons on their own.

“It’s forcing the notion of guided practice,” said Cynthia Desrochers, director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at California State University-Northridge, responded. “Students can get the easy stuff on their own, but the hard stuff should be under the watchful eye of a teacher.”

Explaining to adults that homework was watching videos was a little harder, though.

“My grandma thought I was using it as an excuse to mess around on the Internet,” one student said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Comments (38)

qlazzy
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 4:07am
I think there is no doubt about Flipped Learning as the future.

Even Stanford University confirms it. Here is their lecture on…

Teaching in the Digital Age:

http://www.qlazzy.com/lesson/view/51056b489ce3c04e7c000001

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Ikejohn
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:36pm
I am a Christian conservative high school math teacher and as I teacher I get lumped in with all the teacher bashing that goes on against teachers on here…and that’s fine. I just want you all to know that not every teacher is a huge lib dumbing down the education system and trying to indoctrinate our kids with the left wing agenda.

I do my best to teach high school math. No dumbing down or fluffy math……..and it’s tough. I read the comments on here that say “what happened to assigning homework?” Well what if that doesn’t work? What if they don’t do it? What consequence would you give them? Call home? I do that regularly. Would you give them detention? I haven’t seen that change anything. Would you tell them they are running the risk of not passing or even not graduating? And what if they don’t care? Is less homework the answer? What if they are in high school algebra and don’t know their multiplication table at all. What would you do? Please don’t bash teachers as if we are all the root of this. WHAT IF parents are not doing their part? Are you? So I am looking here for recommendations.

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- TotallyNotATroll
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:53pm
  I’ve seen a lot of left wing bashing here, but not specifically teachers, or that is I should say while teachers may have gotten attacked the problem is the left leaning, not the profession.
  I have a lot of respect for you, and considered your profession at one time.
  
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:56pm
The scam in public schools is to teach you only what you need to know, true or not to be a productive member of the collective. Dumbed down and thoughtless. “Standardized”. We have to import people with real World skills.

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- Ikejohn
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 6:51pm
  “Dumbed down and thoughtless?” Really? Do you not think there just might be some conservative teachers out there?…or just good teachers in general? So you…as a conservative (as am I), what would you do differently in a high school algebra class full of students who can barely multiply? I’d like to know.
  
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:51pm
Duh– It never made sense to keep the lesson a secret! Is it really a stroke of genius to let the kid know where the lesson is going? I once aced a Geometry/Algebra test that nobody else passed. The teacher could not understand my work nor how I arrived to all these correct answers, but it was simply applying common sense he didn’t use in his lessons.
A physics teacher used the above prescription, minus the computers/internet. I learned more in his class than all classes put together. He was out of the room 90% of the time. He would tell us what we were going to learn, show us the principles and then tell us to work it out while he’s gone. We learned. No mystery. No dumbing down in that class. Everyone was interested and alert. Our public schjoolm system sucks and cannot compete with a 1 room, multi-grade, 1 chalkboard 3rd world schoolhouse. — Unions and alinsky radicals is no way too learn.

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 3:47pm
  We used to divide kids into classes based upon ability to learn – a class of accelerated students, a class of middle of the road (average) students and a class for the not as bright. Now in the effort to make all things “equal” and not make any one “feel bad” – all kids a lumped together so they all fair poorly as the lessons are taught to the lowest common denominator….
  
  This surprising trend started around 1979 which is low and behold when the Fed Dept of Education was born – it has been down hill (and picking up speed) ever since
  
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- PubliusScipio
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:56pm
  Sounds like my physics teacher! Mr. Casao – he engaged students like no teacher I’ve ever met.
  
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Grizzlyof5
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:53am
The reason it’s working is because the non motivated kids also known as class disturbers are not able to keep the teacher from teaching. The children who actually want to learn the lesson can and the disrupters are taken out of the equation. It’s amazing what kids can actually learn when a lesson can be or is actually taught in school. Now if they can just address the watered down curriculum and get the union propaganda out of the school we just might get some educated children.

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CarolinaGirl
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:27am
This approach is far better than the dumbing down of the academics because of integration of minorities. If it works, then great. The majority of students will always do well if they are taught at home that education matters. And, sadly, there will always be students who will do poorly because their parents are not engaged in their childrens’ studies.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:43am
  It’s the integration of minorities that drives this approach to education. This system allows the teacher/school to ‘give’ grades. This is how one races to the middle, making everyone ‘appear’ to be the same. Trash objectivity and anything goes. Feel good education.
  
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- battles
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:52am
  Not to impugn this method, but there are many parents who do not have the ability to ‘engage in their childrens’ studies’. As to the statement ‘Now teachers are actually working with kids’, this I believe is a complete joke. I had only one teacher throughout jr high and high school who actually worked with me so that I could pass her class. Most teacher today are interested and concerned about one thing – GIVE ME MORE MONEY.
  
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- Bikkiboo
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 1:51pm
  to BATTLES:
  Every parent has the ability to encourage and insist their child do their best in school. Some just don’t want to do it. They don’t want to be sure the child gets enough nourishment and sleep; gets to school on time and does homework; reads instead of always playing video games. Parenting is hard work and requires a 24/7 investment in time – especially the first 6 years. If you train them right from the beginning, they’ll usually stick with it. It is much easier when they’re 2 than when they’re 15 and have raised themselves.
  Teachers LOVE to work with kids. It’s why they teach. Usually, however, they have to spend half the class time shutting up disruptive students who steal learning time from those who want to learn. Unfortunately, the disruptive students are rarely absent. When they are, the teachers REALLY get to “work with” the kids who want to learn. This method seems like a good idea -it’s what home schoolers get. It actually doesn’t take that much time to teach something to a child who wants to learn. Then you let them try it, ask questions, and help until they understand it. This can be done with a whole classroom when you don’t have to sit on disrupters.
  
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LightEnterprises
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:35am
This is exactly what BYU-Idaho and BYU-Provo are already doing and have been doing for a long time. It’s been extraordinarily successful! It makes the the teachers trust their students, the students have the opportunity to prepare for class and become real learners, and it creates an atmosphere where the teacher is doing real teaching. Students of all abilities respond very well to this because it makes the teacher more available. This is fantastic!

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:55am
  It allows both the teachers and the schools to artificially look better. How do you know that the students are better educated? Compared to what standard? Johnny can take a different formatted test than Suzie. What’s the ‘objective’ criteria, something schools and teachers have been trying to get away from since the 70′s? And, try getting an inner city kid to view a video at home.
  
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vaman
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:27am
This is excellent. The old ways of teaching slow, methodical and kids learn nothing. This could be a great advancement in learning.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:58am
  “The old ways of teaching slow, methodical and kids learn nothing.”
  
  Oh yeah. Always looking to change, as if change is always better. The old way was the right way. In the 70′s we got away from the old ways. Those real old ways made us the leader in education. The leader in innovation. The people who captured the moon.
  
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Ladykiva
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:07am
The traditional classroom model does not work under the Federal requirements (per the ADA as it applies to Education). Students and teachers, particularly in collaborative classes, are being told that they must provide individualized, self-paced learning yet still achieve objective content standards on a strict chronological basis. Changing to this type of instruction/learning is one answer and the technology is there to do it. I have worked in classrooms with 24 students and 6 adults (SpEd teachers, gen ed teachers, aides) that were nothing more than chaotic “zoos’ where learning just didn’t happen. Schools like Carpe Diem are the model for positive change in our failing public schools. Teaching and learning must go together and student responsibility must be stressed, as in this system of “flipped” learning.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:42am
  What do you do with the student who doesn’t view the videos?
  
  Quite frankly, this is a way to control outcome, to skew the results of grading. Note that if the students don’t like the objective testing, he will test in other ways… no standardization. He controls outcome, grades. The teacher can “give” the grade that he chooses, which is why there are fewer complaints. Which is why grades are up. And, schools benefit because they artificially look like they are doing a better job, when in fact, it is grade inflation.
  
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- Tuhme21
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:38am
  You’re assuming that grades, i.e. A, B, C, etc., are the right way to go. It has nothing to do with competition, it has to do with learning and understanding the material being presented.
  
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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:50am
  Tuhme21, fact is, in the real world it is all about competition. When you forget that, you lose. If our schools are there to provide a path to the real world, they had better know what that real world is.
  
  This is the problem. This is why young adults, and older teens, flip out. They come from institutions that tell them they are the same. That we are all equal. That you should not compete for grades. Reality smacks them in the face. They’ve been duped, lied to. hey get angry and frustrated. They’ve never had to, been forced to, cope.
  
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Eastinfection
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:01am
This method should be transformed to apply to college degrees, as well.
Many people are capable of self- educating themselves and all the info you need to do so is available- free of charge- in a public library.
You should be able to just pay a small fee per exam, and “test” your way to a degree, without ever enrolling, paying tuition, sitting through a semester of classes, etc.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:11am
  There certainly is a better argument to this type of education in higher education, with adults. But, not with inexperienced, ignorant kids. Ignorance is not stupidity, for those who just blew a gasket.
  
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Chromo200
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:55am
Sounds like a good idea, but still would like to see the results of the three Rs.

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- sjpru
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:04am
  ….exactly…the above story talks about “pre-calculus” and “science labs” where this system will work well because the students are interested and engaged…but students trying to learn basics are not engaged or even interested.
  
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Melika
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:54am
That’s so weird. When I went to school (not that long ago), we had these things called “textbooks” and you were supposed to “read” a chapter with some learning exercises before class so that the teacher could then cover the more difficult aspects or help the dumb students understand what they didn’t bother reading. You could pause anywhere in the book, re-read difficult passages, access the entire body of knowledge at any time and if you were smart, keep going ahead to learn more. We called it student responsibility, or a part of “homework”.

Thank God a 10 minute video can cover an entire instructional hour. I hope they include some dancing and the latest music so it isn’t boring. Why don’t they simply play this 10 minute video in class, then have them move onto the next lesson?

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:04am
  And after 180 classroom days of ten minute videos, huzzah!, “Forward!” Forward to the next level and graduation to a McJob, tiding the idiots over ’til their next welfare check.
  
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- GetRight
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:41am
  Good one Melika! I agree! There is nothing wrong with recording lessons so students can watch to review or study at home, but what is wrong with assigning reading and actual ‘homework”? The only reason this is working is because it is dumbing down and subjectively assigning grades. Learning takes effort, consequences, rewards, and failures. You cannot make some kids care or try and lowering standards helps no one.
  
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daddyman
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:48am
I teach 7th grade science, if I can do this in my classroom I would love it! I have said for years that we expect kids to learn like we did, and its just not possible. I’m 47 and have been teaching for 10 years. When I was in the private sector I learned by doing and making mistakes to get better. We still rely too much on reading text and taking notes in class. If kids are doing this at home, we can do the more appropriate hands-on learning in class. Let’s face it; the kids today have never known a world without instant information. To expect them to grasp material in 20 minutes of reading aloud and taking notes is becoming unreasonable. This will allow us to create a more “training based” learning environment. I think it would model the real world better and let teachers push for problem solving and self-reliance. This is almost an apprentice situation, learning from the expert with real-world applications.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:01am
  Really? How would you know anything about apprenticeships but from your goonion bosses.
  
  I completed a four year IBEW marine electrician apprenticeship before I qualified in nuclear engineering testing.
  .
  Read Hyman George Rickover on education and management. Read Rickover on Responsibility, “It is an unique concept …”
  
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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:06am
  Doughuffmn, Hyman George Rickover. He was a legend.
  
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DougHuffman
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:43am
I knew that my facility was in danger of closing when we moved from managing the engineering of ship repair to engineering the management of ship repair. Be warned education establishment, we’re on to you.

The Deliberate Dumbing down of America by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt chronicles in their own words the policy of creating compliant complacent worker drones.

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- daddyman
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 2:31pm
  I’m on your side, my union sucks. If I could avoid the union I would, but they have a stranglehold in PA. I’m pushing for right-to-work here. I’m the least popular guy on staff when elections come around. I never “apprenticed” for a trade, but I’ve had to do my share of labor long before I ever taught. Notice the 10 years teaching and 47 years old? This a second, even third career. It’s a pain in the **** fighting from the inside, but I try to instill better character in my kids and students than my colleagues. If we plan on making change, we need people inside.
  
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lgccac
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:41am
Gee, a teacher who is interested in teaching instead of just her pension and her health care. There are a lot of them out there. They just don’t get the publicity.

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DZ-015
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:40am
How do the students get their daily dose of progressive indoctrination using this method?

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- huntinwabbits
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:20am
  It will have to be incorporated into the lecture. This means that Obama or someone similar will soon be on the video giving the lessons themselves. And if all else fails, they can ransack the reports coming from such a system and manipulate it to look like a giant failure. Then they can get back to the good ole’ days of brainwashing in the classroom.
  
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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:00am
  It’s in the video. It’s in the testing. It’s in the teacher, who is in the classroom.
  
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biohazard23
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:38am
Ruh-roh, Shaggy. The teachers’ union ain’t gonna like this one bit.

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