Now a decade old, the flipped classroom format has moved quickly from “interesting experiment” to “practical pedagogy.” And as educators continue to pass along their own interpretations of the inverted model, a new survey suggests that the act of classroom flipping has reached an important milestone.
In its first ever Teaching with Technology survey, Campus Technology has put impressive numbers behind just how prominent the flipped classroom trend has become on college campuses. Today, the majority of college faculty — fully 55% of instructors — are already flipping some or all of their classes. An additional 25% of faculty surveyed said they are considering introducing the flipped classroom model into their courses in the future. The survey polled over 500 faculty at higher education institutions across the U.S. about how they use or plan to use technology in their classrooms.
The Campus Technology survey also revealed that many more college educators are embracing some type of blended learning model. 75% of faculty in higher education are utilizing blended or hybrid learning in some or all of their classes.
Does the increased adoption of the the flipped classroom model indicate that the practice is a “magic bullet” for improving student performance? Certainly not, but its growing dominance suggests that more and more educators are finding value in flipping the classroom.
Why Are More Faculty Flipping Their Classrooms?
The modern debate over instructional design often pits two prominent pedagogies against each other – Sage on the Stage vs. Guide on the Side. The Sage on the Stage model refers to the traditional lecture-based approach to teaching, while the Guide on the Side model, often compared to coaching, focuses on an instructor-guided active learning process.
Research shows that students learn more when they are engaged. And classes that utilize active learning methods have proven better at improving student outcomes, particularly in STEM education. Unsurprisingly, more and more teachers are incorporating active learning into their course designs.
In the flipped classroom, a blend of lecture-based and active learning methodologies creates a more personalized and interactive experience for students. Class time consists of instructor-led learning activities, collaborative group work or discussions, while assignments outside of class involve viewing lecture videos and other digital course materials. Ultimately, both students and teachers seem to prefer this model compared to the traditional lecture method.
Other benefits of flipping the classroom include:
- Personalized learning
- More one-on-one time between students and teachers
- Students find lecture videos easier to review before exams
- Teachers have more flexibility to make the best use of learning time both inside and outside of class
Related Reading: 7 Unique Flipped Classroom Models – Which is Right for You?
Technology Makes Flipping The Classroom Easier
Technology has not only made flipping the classroom easier, but also teaching in general. According to faculty surveyed in the Teaching with Technology survey, 77% of respondents said that digital technology has made their jobs easier, and 88% said that educational technology has impacted their teaching abilities positively.
As educational technologies improve and become more available to college educators, there are fewer barriers to flipping the classroom. In a study of flipped classroom trends by Faculty Focus, nearly 70% of the educators surveyed said that time was the biggest barrier to experimenting with flipped classroom model.
Video and lecture capture technologies are making it easier for teachers to implement new blended learning techniques in their courses by reducing the time required to create digital materials. Most lecture capture software allows you to record video, audio, slides and other media with as little technology as a computer with a webcam and microphone.
With its unique blend of active learning and traditional teaching methods, the flipped or inverted classroom, aided by advances in technology, is emerging as the most popular model of blended learning among college faculty.
Thinking about using video to support your flipped classroom lessons? Don’t miss our complete guide — download a copy now at: The Practical Guide to Flipping Your Classroom
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