1) The
flipped classroom was definitely a success. My lectures were more focused and shorter. Students were able to go through the
material at their own pace. Students who were more familiar with the content or
were already teaching could go through the lecture at a faster pace. Students who were not native speakers
of English could take their time and look up words they did not understand. They could also check in their book and
in the other resources for explanations of the concepts.
2) Students
found the forums time-consuming at first but in the end said that they were
valuable as a tool for getting to know each other, applying the concepts that
they had learned, exchanging ideas with their peers, and it also provided a
valuable assessment tool for me.
3) The
classroom discussions and activities were the big winners. Having the students
come prepared for discussions (and me not having to do a long lecture) allowed
plenty of time for group activities which then afforded me the time to listen
in, and pose questions as an informal assessment.
4) I felt
that my assessments were varied enough to allow each student to excel in the
class regardless of their learning modality. By the end of the course, I was able to assess my students’
ability to: a) comprehend the text, b) apply the principles to their student
population, c) lead and participate in discussions, and d) participate in a
group activity with an oral component.
The forums and journals also allowed me to assess writing expression and
ability.
Feedback from my students and self-reflection gave me some
ideas of what I would do differently the next time I teach my course.
1) The
most difficult thing for me to do was to let go of control. Feedback from my
students said that the sessions where I felt the need to go over the lecture
notes again were the least interesting. I must trust that my students will do
what they need to do in order to come to class prepared.
2) I
definitely need to rework my syllabus so that students know exactly what they
need to prepare before coming to class, what they need to be prepared to do in
class, and what is expected of them after class. The timeline for preparation, discussion and activities, and
responding to the forums needs to be more explicit. This is something that can also be addressed by changing the
format of my school website. Right
now, it is mostly a list of resources followed by links for assignments.
3) Although
I like the discussions and activities as I have prepared them, I would like to
continue to refine them so that they become a better assessment tool. I would also like to look for alternate
assignments so that students have a choice in tasks and projects.
4) The
final change is technical in nature.
I’d like to make my presentation more visually appealing by including
short video clips, using the tools available through the Faculte Studio, and
providing additional assistance via the Q & A capability of the
website. My school website also
allows for self-paced quizzes to ensure that students have gotten the correct
information. I would not use them
for grading, but they would allow students to gauge their level of
comprehension of the topic and ask questions for clarification.
