Questions and Answers about Flipped Learning

Today, I presented about flipped learning at my school. As part of the planning process, I sent a survey to find out what the participants wanted to know about flipped learning. As I began to plan, I realized I would be unable to answer the range of questions within the constraints of the workshop. Below is a copy of the document I crafted to answer some of those questions.

1. What was your and/or your students' biggest challenge at the beginning of introducing the concept of a flipped classroom?

• There was some resistance and some scapegoating. If a student struggled in my course, it was because “of the flipped thing.” I’ve found students who struggle in my class, struggle in several courses.
• The other challenge was organizational. I moved early to an asynchronous course so managing the organization of the materials, videos and keeping track of students was tough. Students were genuinely confused.
• Finally, making enough videos to be ahead of the students was hard. Ideally, the first unit of videos should be made during the summer. I wanted perfection, so I spent several hours making just one video. I no longer strive for perfection because there are diminishing returns on making great videos. The videos are to convey information or demonstrate something, so they don’t need to be perfect -- just good enough to make the point.

2. Is the flipped classroom something for a certain age-range, type of learning? Is it applicable to any kind of subject?

• The easiest answer is to say that flipped learning is appropriate for all disciplines and age ranges because there are teachers from different grade levels and disciplines flipping their courses with success. The movement started with science teachers in high school and it has spread to all disciplines and age ranges. There is a social network where you can connect with other teachers in your discipline and division - http://flippedclassroom.org/

• The difficult answer is to say that a teacher needs to be aware of what works best for their students. You may not want to assign any homework or your course may not benefit from offloading direct instruction to video.

3. Have the students' performances improved, since the inclusion of flipped learning?

• Yes, see more info here http://wilsonsflippedlab.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-results-of-semester-of-flip-class.html

4. Are teachers doing a lot more work outside of school preparing lessons than you once did? What are the downsides?

• In the beginning (first school year of flipping), there was a lot of work. But there isn’t as much prep time anymore. In fact, there is less prep work now than before flipping. I show up to class to help students, not to put on a performance. My stress levels are way down!
• More important, I take home significantly less grading. I give students feedback mostly in class, which result in better products. These better products are easier to grade.

5. How does it flow? How do you organize it especially since it's asynchronous? Are there times where you need the entire class to be at a certain time in terms of their understanding and how do you get them to be there? What hasn't worked so well and why?

I’ve written a lot about asynchronous or mastery learning on my blog - here is the link that has all of the articles tagged with asynchronous learning - http://wilsonsflippedlab.blogspot.com/search/label/Asynchronous

I am working on a 2nd year of asynchronous learning blog post, so check my blog later in the week for the most up to date post - wilsonsflippedlab.blogspot.com

6. How can I introduce self-paced learning without making it too hard on students who have little motivation, don't function well independently, or those who just produce little output?

I still struggle with this part of the course. It is the single biggest source of struggle for me. I did a better job this year. I scaffolded asynchronous learning. The first unit was synchronous. In the second unit, I shared a suggested timeline. By the third unit, I let students work asynchronously but mandated a plan for each week outlining the homework and classwork for each day. A detailed blog post about the process I used to help students with asynchronous learning - http://wilsonsflippedlab.blogspot.com/2014/10/scaffolding-asynchronous-learning.html

7. If you are not creating your own videos, where are the best places to find streaming media to use?

Youtube, teachertube, http://ed.ted.com/, Vimeo, and Showme.com are sites that come to mind. There is also Khan Academy but the videos aren't particularly engaging.

8. How can videos help me teach grammar and pronunciation for US language classes?

A few ideas...

1. Any direct instruction that you currently do in class about grammar and pronunciation can be offloaded to video. Have the students watch it and complete a quick accountability check as homework. Even have kids prepare questions before class.
2. You can ask students to create videos where they record their own lessons, pronounce words, etc. Have students collaborate to make videos, perhaps recording a conversation in the language or performing a skit.
3. The biggest benefit is if students watch your videos for homework, then class time can be saved for more application. Students can spend more time reading, writing and conversing in the language during class where you can support them and give “in the moment” feedback.

9. Are there ways of doing flipped learning that are not too demanding of teacher preparation time?

Using pre-made videos made by others can save tons of time. See question 4.

10. I have heard some students say that they do not always learn the material as well when they're doing it on their own because they're not able to ask questions when content is introduced. What have people who have incorporated flipped learning experienced?

I’ve heard the same from some of my students when I first started. (See question 1). However, I don’t hear that concern anymore. It is especially not a concern anymore because students are allowed to watch videos in class. But even as I have made that change, I don’t get many questions from students during video viewing in class.

11. I understand the filming yourself lessons as HW part, but I'm more curious as to what class time is used for then.

The simplest answer is to just flip what you normally assign as homework becomes class work.

But that would make class boring if every lesson was just classwork. My question to you is,

“what are the things you would do if more time was added to your course?” I would start by incorporating those activities into the class time.

Some immediate ideas come to mind:

• more discussions
• more projects
• students creation of content like videos, posters & presentations
• hands on activities
• one on one conferences with students
• portfolio work
• collaborative-group work
• more writing, blogging
• peer evaluation
• reflection
• games

12. Techniques & technology to make the videos as visual appealing and accessible as possible.

It’s attractive to worry about making excellent videos but my experience is making excellent videos takes a lot of time and effort - probably more so than what they are worth. Think about your experience with making PowerPoint presentations. There is always room for improvement but there are diminishing returns when making the “perfect” presentation, if such a thing exists. Rather, the focus should be on making “good enough” videos. There are best practices for making videos, some of which we will briefly discuss during the workshop. However, students don’t ultimately learn the content exclusively through the video or even a live lecture/presentation. It is during the struggle to apply the content that students begin to learn. I would focus more energy and time on making effective assignments, learning opportunities and assessments.

Teacher's Survivor Guide to Flipped Learning

As a follow up to suggestions for students to excel in a flipped class, I offer some assistance for teachers who wish to convert from traditional to flipped courses. 

1. Know why you're making the switch, the reason(s) must go beyond the cool factor or a way to mix things up. Identify and communicate what you're trying to accomplish by flipping. Flipping is most useful when it is used to solve a problem or enhance or maximize features within a course, rather than merely following a trend. For example, will flipping allow for more differentiation, problem based learning, projects, writers workshops, student centered learning, discussions or labs? If you're not immediately sure how you will recuperate class time, then perhaps you're not ready to flip your class.
2. Keep data on student progress. Parents and administrators will want to know if the switch to flipped learning has been successful. Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your class and continue to make improvements. 
3. Connect to other flipped teachers and look for opportunities to collaborate. You will get tons of ideas about implementation, as well as warnings about common pitfalls. Consider joining Twitter and Google Plus, there is a robust #flipclass community which discuss issues in flipped classes. 
4. There are tons of variants of flipped classes; you will have important decisions to make. Will your course be synchronous or asynchronous? Will you offer anticipatory work before students watch videos? What will you use to create, host and share videos?
5. Make own videos, if you can. Perhaps in the beginning, you will not have an extensive library of your own videos, so you may need to have a combination of your videos and videos found online. Since you are not giving direct instruction in class anymore, students will be somewhat removed from you. Having your own voice and perhaps even face on videos can bridge some of that gap. 
6. Keep videos short. It's better to have two videos rather than one long video. Students can get intimidated from having to sit through one long video. By splitting the video into shorter ones, students can get positive reinforcement and a sense of accomplishment when they complete the videos. On a similar note, try to limit each video to only one core idea or concept. Not only will this help to keep videos short but it will help students rewatch only the videos they need. Consider making separate videos for concept introduction and demonstration of examples. Students who don't need to see multiple examples won't have to sit through needless video footage. 
7. Hold students accountable for watching the videos. Think about what you will do if students do not watch the video. Create a post-video assignment to ensure students understood the content. It doesn't have to be long and exhausting but it should hold students accountable for watching the videos. Have students take notes and submit questions they'd like to have answered. There are some sites like educannon or zaption that can embed questions into videos and pause the videos until students have answered the questions; they also provide embed codes in order to store and share these interactive videos on your website or learning management system.
8. Make a commitment to avoid reteaching the content in class; otherwise, students will learn videos are not required.  
9. Consider providing a guided note sheet to help students pinpoint the important information from the videos. You can always wean students off note sheets as the school year goes on. 
10. Ask for student feedback. Make appropriate adjustments.  
11. Respect the learning curve. Be open to students being confused and even resistant to change. Be patient even when you're setting consistent expectations. Give yourself the same patience. You won't get it right the first time, the second time or even subsequent times. If you are a veteran, then you have learned to be effective in different ways. It will take time be effective in this new way. 

What suggestions have I missed? Tom Driscoll, a fellow flipped educator, offers some other tips in his video embedded below.

Student Survivor Guide to Flipped Learning

OpenClips // pixabay

This post is dedicated to my former and current students who have helped me tweak my flipped class. This post is in service to future students, containing suggestions from former and current students in order to successfully navigate flip class. 

Suggestions:

1. Focus on work in class. There are plenty of opportunities for collaboration but don't get distracted by your peers or devices. 
2. Assign yourself homework on a nearly nightly basis. If you miss an evening, increase your future plans accordingly. 
3. Plan ahead, think about your after school commitments and adjust plans when new ones arise without falling behind. 
4. Be willing to work with others and change your groups as often as needed in order to work to your best ability. This may mean avoiding working with your best friends. Put pressure on peers to stay focused and be open to pressure from peers to get work done. 
5. Ask for help but also avoid relying on the teacher. 
6. Promptly revise and redo work after feedback. 
7. Stay organized - keep course content in one place. 
8. Be tech savvy. Know how to use the Learning Management System, do online research, create videos and send and share electronic documents. You should feel comfortable using Google Drive, iMovie, Notability, Apps that can take screen shots and record screen casts, and create presentations. 
9. Be flexible - adjust to changes in the course. 
10. Read all instructions.
11. Actively, not passively, watch videos. Use pause and rewind as often as needed. When the videos ask questions, pause and attempt to answer the questions. 

In general, you should be an active problem solver and take ownership / responsibility of learning  - schedule appointments, follow through on plans, adjust plans. If you follow these guidelines, you should have success in the class. 

Did I miss something? 

Teaching Screencasting Through Flipped Learning Cycles: a post Camtasia Workshop Reflection

Camtasia Studio 7.0.1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A colleague and I led a workshop on Screencasting through Camtasia. The premise of our workshop was to organize the full day workshop in a 5E Learning Cycle of Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate.

Engage: 
The purpose of this first segment was to generate interest in screen casting and demonstrate why participants should want to learn to use Camtasia. I handed out my son's karate belts and demonstrated how to tie them and asked participants to do the same. Immediately, the limitations of live direct instruction were obvious - different participants got lost at different spots. This introductory activity led to a nice discussion of how videos can be helpful when teaching concepts. Participants understood that sharing a video showing how to tie a karate belt would have been more helpful because participants would've been able to rewind, pause and rewatch at their own pace. 

Explore: 
The next phase demonstrated what can be done in screen casts and identify best practices for screen casting. I shared one of my first (and flawed) Camtasia screen casts with the group and tasked them to provide feedback (eg regarding clarity, color scheme and sound quality.) Participants submitted feedback and questions via a Google form and we used those responses to brainstorm a list of best practices, which included the need for contrast between text and background, keeping videos short and asking questions throughout the video, to name a few. We also briefly touched on some crucial pedagogical issues: how videos are part of a larger learning cycle, why you should avoid spending too much time perfecting the videos, the limitations of recorded lectures, etc.

Explain:
The Explain phase included direct instruction where we led a quick orientation and walk-through of Camtasia. Participants followed us in real time to record a short screen cast with the webcam enabled.

Elaborate:
The bulk of the workshop was the elaboration (or application) phase, where participants worked at their own pace to edit and/or create videos. We shared a Zip folder with editable Camtasia files, which all had a flaw that could be corrected with a specific skill, like trimming, annotations, zooming, etc. We shared a document outlining the task for each video along with a link to the TechSmith tutorial demonstrating that particular important skill. In addition, we also shared the link to the entire TechSmith library of tutorial videos.

Participants spent four hours spread out in different rooms working through the guided assignment and/or creating their own videos. 

Evaluate:  
We provided access to a Google Drive folder for participants to upload their videos or provide links in a Google document of their videos hosted elsewhere. We spent the last hour of the workshop showing the videos created by participants. We all commented on the videos and ended the session with final thoughts and participants provided feedback about the workshop via a Google Form.

Final thoughts: The feedback was unanimously and overwhelmingly positive! Participants appreciated how we framed the activities through a learning cycle and used screencasts to teach screencast creation. The powerful thing about our decision to use videos was that it allowed for participants to work at their own pace and to select what they wanted to learn, which only reinforced the strengths of screencasting in education. We've all been in technology workshops where the presenter elected to run a synchronous live tutorial: the advanced participants get frustrated waiting for the novice stragglers to catch up; and of course the moments when the presenter pauses to troubleshoot for the one or two folks with tech related problems. Leading the workshop only strengthened my resolve to continue developing my flipped course with elements of asynchronous learning and content organized into learning cycles. Hopefully, some of the participants were convinced by their experience in our workshop that flipped learning and screencasts can add wonderful elements to their courses.

Related articles

• Review: Camtasia Studio 8 raises the bar on interactive video creation
• Camtasia: Screencasting on the Mac with Style [Review]
• Camtasia 2.5 for Mac (Review)

How to (and Why You Should) Take Baby Steps to Flipped Learning

Will Fisher // Flickr

When asked how long I've been flipping my class, I typically say since fourth quarter of the 2012-2013 academic school year. Upon further reflection, I now realize that I've adopted elements of the Flip for years. Perhaps unconsciously, I flirted with flipped learning. In sharing some of these prior flirtations, I hope readers weary of diving into flipped learning may use my words to help dip their toes into the flipped learning pool. 

Screencasts - Demonstrating how to use Technology: 

In the past, if I wanted students to use graphing software like Excel, TinkerPlots or Fathom, a technology integrator would visit my classes, lead a lesson or two and walk my students through the processes of inputting data, making graphs and performing calculations. This was helpful because I didn't have the proficiency to teach the software at the time. But it was difficult to schedule these lessons and ensure each section learned the same techniques, not to mention the difficulty of helping students who were absent for these guest lessons. 

As I learned more, I took over the lessons. This solved the problem of scheduling lessons but other issues remained. For example, it was still difficult to remember what I told each class. Some students missed parts of the instructions and repeating myself meant other groups were waiting for the next step. There were always groups who had technical issues, so troubleshooting also prevented other groups from moving on. Some groups already knew how to use the software and still had to wait for specific instructions from me. All of these issues meant I spent way too much time on teaching technology, rather than focusing on the course specific skills and content. 

I solved these problems by creating videos or screencasts showing how to use the technology. At first, students watched the videos during class. This instantly improved the student experience. Those who missed a step could rewind. Faster students or students previously experienced with the software no longer had to wait for the rest of the class. I was free to manage behavior without interrupting the lesson; more importantly, I helped students troubleshoot. 

Eventually, I asked students to preview the technology tutorial videos at home. Offloading direct instruction added so much time to the lesson. My students spent the majority of class time working on their projects, rather than watching a screen or waiting for their peers. Students had more time to discuss, collaborate, ask questions and revise their work. Anecdotally, I recall thinking the project quality improved after the switch.  I even notched up expectations. There were fewer noticeable breaches of academic integrity as well. I presume this was true for a few reasons. I was present for most of project completion; it would've been audacious for a student to cheat on a project despite the teacher lurking around the room and talking with students. Another reason, presumably, is students were able to ask me questions as soon as confusion arose. Previously, these confused students would turn to their peers outside of classtime for help- sometimes, inappropriate help. Instead, students turned to me during class time. 

Labcasts - Giving Directions on Video: 

After my successes with the screencasts, I realized that videos could be helpful so I decided to put ALL instructions in videos. Whenever there was a project, students viewed the video instructions before we began work. Students also jotted down questions for homework. 

I extended these videos to labs as well. This is probably when I fell in love with instructional videos. As a pre-lab assignment, students took notes and answered questions based on the labcast videos. Class time was maximized for set up, data collection,  clean up and reflection.  I no longer spent 10-15 minutes explaining the experiment and fielding questions. Even though class still began with Q & A, there were fewer questions. Presumably, students took advantage of the pause and rewind buttons. All students now had an closeup view of the lab setup. When I explained the experiment during class, only the first row of students had an unimpeded view. 

YouTube - Teaching Content:

After the successes of labcasts and screencasts, I appreciated the benefits of flipped learning. I started to use a few YouTube videos to teach content. I didn't do it often because my presentations were designed specifically for my course and most of the videos I found online were not. On the rare occasion when I found appropriate videos, I usually showed them in class, as part of my presentation. This strategy was limited and didn't offer all of the previously mentioned benefits. The videos were still part of synchronous presentations. Students did not have the luxury of rewinding or moving ahead. I also didn't have the luxury to roam, interact with students, give individualized feedback or manage behavior without interrupting the lesson. Class time wasn't saved. I could've assigned the videos for homework but was skeptical that all of my students would watch the videos. Even if they did, I didn't have a plan for reimagining the captured class time. 

Closing thoughts: 

I came to realize that if I desired the use of videos to teach content on a consistent basis, I would need to build new accountability structures and reorganize my class. The video was just a small element of this imagined course; I would have to rethink my class. 

This is where the baby steps stopped... eventually, I took large strides out of the wading pool and dove into the deep end of flipped learning. I haven't peeked over to the shallow end yet and don't expect to!

Leveraging the Power of Google Forms, Scripts and Formulae

Last week, I led two workshops at my school's professional development day. One was relevant to the flipped class. It was a presentation inspired by a webinar led by Ramsey Musallam. He framed the use of his tools as solutions to design problems. I took his lead and discussed VLookUp, Formemailer, editing the form confirmation page, and Flubaroo as solutions to four design problems in my flipped course. Incidentally, I learned about Formemailer and editing the form confirmation page from Ramsey as well.

Here is a link to my presentation and below is the YouTube playlist of my tutorial videos demonstrating how to use the relevant hacks, scripts and formulae in Google Forms. 

How to Write Calculated Questions in Moodle Quizzes

One of the most helpful questions in a Moodle quiz is the calculated question. Students perform calculations using a formula. Moodle allows you to ask an indefinite version of these questions by switching specific values. If you set up the question correctly, Moodle will insert random values (or values from a range) and will grade student responses. For example, let's say you want students to calculate the area of a rectangle but want each student to get different values for the length and width. You input the formula (A = LxW) and the parameters. Moodle will generate a different question each time by randomly selecting a value for L and for W. This is especially helpful in a mastery course where students are taking tests and quizzes at different times. Unfortunately, it is not a straight forward process. Below is a tutorial to walk you through the steps. The preparation will be worth it!

Related articles

• Using Moodle in the Classroom

Tools of the Trade

When I made the plunge into flipping, I was equipped with an iPad, Macbook and the Explain Everything app. But as I planned to redesign the entire course, I wanted a more powerful option. After some research and discussions with the Tech department at my school, I now have a good toolkit to make videos. For anyone who has access to money, below I describe the hardware that I use. If you were so inclined, you could purchase these materials and be worry-free. 

There are two major types of videos that I make: screen and lab casts. Primarily, I make screen casts to teach concepts. The lab casts contain live footage to demonstrate lab procedures and the use of equipment. 

Screencasting

Computer: Macbook Air

This is a fast and powerful machine, even though it is just an Air. Although, I will make the switch to the MacBook Pro in the fall for more memory and power. But this is a good and less expensive option (although Macs are typically more expensive than their PC counterparts.)

External Hard drive: Seagate Backup Plus 1TB

I purchased this to store my Camtasia projects. Even though I feel pretty secure uploading videos to Youtube and backing them up on Google Drive, I want a hard copy of the Camtasia projects. Storing these projects are important because I do plan to make future edits to my videos. I started with an older model of Western Digital drive but I wanted an upgrade and love the lightning speed and portability of this drive. Make sure you purchase a little case for it.




Tablet: Wacoom Bamboo Splash

This seems to be the go-to tablet of flipped teachers. I've read great reviews and it is relatively cheap. It is the wired model but that doesn't bother me because I always make my videos on a surface that can hold my computer and tablet. An overlooked but important feature is the pen holder. This is a must-have because you don't want to misplace your pen.



Computer Mic: Samson GoMic


Again, this is a popular but inexpensive USB mic. I don't know much about microphones but the voice quality is noticeably superior to the built-in mic. It also comes with a handy case.

Labcasting

HD Camera: Canon Vixia HFR200     




This easy to use camera will come in handy when I need to tape instructions for labs and other activities. It can also be helpful for taping work on iPads as an alternative to the reflector app. Originally, I opted for a flip camera but the zoom on this Canon is much more powerful.







Directional Microphone: Rode Videomic Pro

Like the USB microphone, the directional microphone will produce superior sound quality than the built-in mic. This will come in handy when video taping labs and other activities.





Tripods:



There are two tripods here. The larger one is a standard tripod and the smaller one can be helpful if I need to hang a camera from weird positions.




Optical Drive: USB External Slim SuperDrive Disk Drive Burner

I only needed an optical drive because I had a Macbook Air. While these computers are sleak and beautiful, they lack an optical drive. There were issues downloading hardware drivers to my computer, so the optical drive was invaluable here. This drive could also burner DVDs containing my videos if students couldn't get Internet access at home. I won't need the drive after the switch to a Macbook Pro.

Wishlist: I wouldn't mind getting a set of USB drives to lend students who are having Internet issues but still have computers at home.

How to get Students to Watch Videos

CC Courtesy of Sign Dvd Music Video Icon 

by Nemo on Pixabay

Probably one of the most frequent questions or concerns I've heard about flipped learning is "how do you get kids to watch the videos?" It is a fair question and the purpose of this post is to share tips for motivating and building accountability into video viewing.

But before I begin, I'd like to share two things. First, there is no magic bullet; there is always the potential for noncompliance. Second, noncompliance for video watching should be seen as and treated as any other behavioral issue. I wouldn't accept fear of noncompliance as a valid obstacle to flipping. Any educational model will present students with the opportunity to misbehave.

Tips for building video watching accountability and motivation -

1) Need to know: the most important tip is the video ought to teach students things they need to know. For that reason, I prefer the explore-flip-apply and problem based learning models over traditional flipping because students watch videos after doing some exploration. The exploration generates some questions and illuminates unknown information that can be shared in the video.

2) Time: students are less likely to watch long videos. I've heard flipped vets recommend 1 minute per grade level. So a 10th grader can watch a 10 minute video and 8th graders can watch an eight minute video. I'm unsure if these guidelines are based on research but I strive for 7-8 minutes and usually end up at 10 minutes. Anything above 10 minutes seems excessive to me. 

3) Accountability during and after video: 

• During the video, I have students take notes (just as they would've done in a classroom lecture.) I provide them with an optional guided note sheet. 
• After the video, they have to complete a google form with understanding-level questions. Their answers get sent to me and organized into a spreadsheet. 

4) Make it interactive: just like any presentation, students will be more engaged if the video is interactive. Instead of just lecturing through content, work though problems together and ask questions. I like to post a question, have students pause the video, then continue watching to work through the rest of the problems and video.

5) Good production: disclaimer here, I don't think students will watch because a video is high quality but they sure will avoid videos that are hard to view and hear. Make the video as painless as possible by thinking through visibility, color scheme, volume, transitions and annotations. I also like to add a catchy tune at the beginning and end of each video to build some excitement.

6) Make it personal: some teachers are not fans of the screen in screen option but I always feel more of a connection when I can see the face of the instructor in their video. There's something distant about a faceless presentation with just a voice over. 

7) Make it required: I personally prefer a flexible model where students can choose how to learn content. However, if video viewing is of utmost importance, then make it required. In addition to using your normal techniques, make sure you don't bail out students. While it's appropriate to help struggling students, don't reteach the content in class for students whom neglected to view the video. 

If you have other suggestions, please feel free to leave comments. 

How to make Khan Academy Scrolling Screen Videos

For all of the bad rap that Sal Khan gets for his videos at Khan Academy, I find his endless screen trick really helpful. The ability to scroll indefinitely and record what you write on the screen can be used to demonstrate solving multi-step problems, especially helpful for math and science.

Sal uses a PC and his work is explained many places on the web. But I use a Mac and played around with the Paintbrush app. It's worked marvelously so far. I recorded the one-take no frills video above to demonstrate how to create Khan-like videos.