Flipping - Do You Need a Video?

"What the recent research on student learning has concluded is that the more actively students are involved in the learning process and take personal responsibility for their learning outcomes, the greater are the learning results."
~ Todd M. Davis & Patricia Hillman Murrell, Turning Teaching into Learning. ASHE-ERIC

Would you be surprised if I told you that Flipping Instruction has been in existence since colleges adopted textbooks? Would it shock you to know that all educators have participated in a Flipped Learning experience, probably without ever recognizing it? Odds are that Flipped Learning experience did not include a video at all!

During this past summer, I transitioned to my new role as Faculty Development Consultant at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. I was eager to use my experiences in Flipping to help instructors improve their instructional practices. While I successfully Flipped my Middle School Math class through videos, I quickly learned that Flipping an entire college course may not be as easy. And that's when it hit me - many instructors already Flip some of their lessons without even knowing they have.

There is a large misconception in higher education that Flipping a lesson or class MUST include a video lesson. However, what about those instructors that assign readings to be done outside of class, or a case-study to analyze in order to apply knowledge during the next class. These instructors are choosing to give students information to read and analyze outside of class in order to maximize their face-to-face time, creating authentic learning experiences for students to evaluate and create with their instructor present.

I will be the first to admit, I thought Flipping could only be done via a video - wow was I wrong. Flipping needs to continue to focus on the face-to-face time instructors and teachers have with their students and how to best utilize that time. By giving students the 'must-have' information outside of class, instructors are able to create authentic learning experiences that encourage students to be engaged while creating evidence that learning has occurred.

If you are considering Flipping, make sure to analyze what outcomes you expect to see in your students. What can you ask them to do that you need not be present for as an instructor? What activities do your students need you for that you wish you had more time to spend on? To be successful at Flipping, you have to provide meaningful, creative, and authentic activities during class that illustrate to your students the importance of the learning that needed to occur outside of class!