Scientific studies suggest that flipped classroom is effective
Is Flipped Education Worth Flipping For?
December 29, 2013, by Nancy Caramanico
What is the early research telling us about the benefits or drawbacks of the Flipped Classroom? Flipped Learning is a popular trend discussed in many classrooms and faculty rooms today. With access to technology expanding daily, it is easy to understand the appeal of having students learn independently outside of class, with help from video-based lessons, and then collaborate and interact more directly with peers and teachers during classroom time.
However, as with any new endeavor, it is important to ask questions: What does the research say? Are these learning models a surefire way to make learning more effective? What features are found in successful rollouts of ‘flipped learning’? What are the benefits? Are there any drawbacks? Here we take a look at a few studies, from both K-12 and higher ed settings.
POSITIVE RESULTS
Study 1 - San Jose State University
San Jose State University wanted to strengthen gains in their ‘Engineering Electronics and Circuits’ course. They decided to teach two groups with two separate delivery models. Video delivery was incorporated into one group, with 85 students viewing course content via at-home videos. This was supported by face-to-face classes each week where students could ask questions and practice new learning. Traditional delivery was used for another set of student. Two groups of students participated in the course via the traditional delivery method which included classroom lectures.
The results? The video group scored almost 11 points higher than the traditional group. The pass rate for the traditional group was almost 60% while the pass rate for the ‘flipped’ group was almost 90%.
Study 2 - Byron High School
After first implementing a pilot in Grades 10, 11 and 12 in 2010, mathematics teacher Troy Faulkner implemented the model into all of his classes. By the spring of 2011, other teachers at his school implemented flipped learning. The implementation had students accessing recorded video lectures at home and then working on problems in class (both individually and in groups). Peer instruction, which consists of students learning with and from other students, was added as a methodology for flipped learning in 2012. Flipped learning methods have been implemented widely in the district in other subjects and grade levels.
When polled, 87% of parents and 95% of students indicated that the flipped learning model is preferable to more traditional models. Increased student-to-student interaction and opportunity to review work at home were reasons cited for this preference. Teachers also cited better teacher-to-student relationships due to more time for one-to-one student assistance. Raised scores were seen in Algebra 2, Precalculus and Calculus. The percentage of students scoring proficient or above increased 12%, 11% and 9% respectively.
Study 3 - Clintondale High School
At Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, Michigan, a flipped learning model was implemented. The stated goal was to see if flipped learning could have a positive impact on low student pass rates across all subject areas. The school had a high at-risk student population. Initially, the model was piloted in one freshman social studies class. It soon expanded to all subjects for freshmen and later to all grades.
Videos were accessed by students at home largely on their own devices. Students spent in-class time reviewing work and interacting with teachers and fellow students. Many positive results were realized. Student pass rates increased anywhere from 9 percent to 19 percent across several subject areas. Student discipline issues decreased by 66%. Increases were also seen in test scores, college readiness, college attendance (73 to 80%) and graduation rates (80 to 90%) .
Clintondale noted some additional benefits. Course materials were more readily available for substitute teachers and students who were absent. Parents were more involved in student work as they could because of the at home involvement.
Study 4 - University of British Columbia
A 2011 study at the University of British Columbia also cast light on the advantages of using classroom time for group interaction as opposed to pure lecture. The study involved 850 undergraduate science students taking a required physics course. They were divided into two groups, both of which began the term with lectures delivered by known, respected professors. During the final week of the course, students in group two continued with the traditional lectures while those in group one were expected to continue acquiring new content using reading assignments outside of the classroom so that they could spend class time on problem solving and discussion.
On an exam given at the end of this final week, students who had learned using the traditional approach had an average score of 41% while the students in the experimental group had an average score of 74%. There was also an increase in attendance during the experimental week and 75% of the members of that group said that they would have learned more had the entire course been taught in the same way. Although it wasn't referred to as “flipped learning” and didn't use video for the content delivery, the author of the EmergingEdTech article summarizing the results found the similarities to flipped learning to be significant.
LISTENING TO THE CRITICS
While testimonials abound as to the benefits of flipped learning, one study being conducted by four professors from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, with National Science Foundation support, raises doubts about the overall value of the approach.
Results are still preliminary but, as reported in USA Today, an initial pilot during the 2012-2013 school year had each professor teaching two sections of the same science course with the same content but two different approaches — one “flipped” and one traditional. The professors tested the impact and found that on all major criteria, including exam scores, the students' ability to transfer their knowledge to a problem, and their attitudes toward learning, there was no demonstrable difference between the two types of classes.
Considering the fact that flipped learning involves extra work for teachers and can be more time-consuming for students, Harvey Mudd professor Nancy Nape believes that, “(The professors') lives might be easier and their students might be happier if they just do a traditional class.”
With flipped learning in many classrooms today, more examples and perspectives will likely surface. While the bulk of evidence points to flipping as a beneficial approach, when it comes to powerful learning for our students, it is important to implement new methods carefully and not to ‘flip’ too soon in one direction or the other without clear purpose backed by ample research evidence.
URL of this article:
http://www.k12blueprint.com/content/flipped-education-worth-flipping
www.k12blueprint.com/content/flipped-education-worth-flipping