What is a flipped classroom?
Wikipedia defines a flipped classroom as:
An instructional strategy and a type of blended learning, which aims to increase learner  engagement and learning by having students complete readings at their homes and work on live problem-solving during class time.
How does that translate to virtual training?  How does it apply to the training I do?  Do customers care about how effective training is?
I was introduced to the flipped classroom approach as a member of the adjunct faculty at IUPUI.  I  developed an Agile course using the flipped approach.  The reading was completed outside of class. Class time was spent working as teams on a projects.

Over time, we have built and  delivered a one-day Scrum class for years that has adopted the incorporated the flipped classroom approach.  The outcomes have been good. We’re able to reduce cost, minimize time out of office, and improved engagement.
What does a flipped classroom look like? 
Prior to coming to a workshop, a student will review videos, blog posts, and activities which provides a good start.  The in-person workshop consists of activities and discussions that reinforces the reading.  This creates a baseline for the students while covering the basics that would normally be taught in the beginning of the course. 
Traditionally, training has consisted of the instructor disseminating information during the course.  Individual lessons typically focused on an explanation of the content in a lecture style.  
In the traditional model, students engagement is limited to activities where the student works independently.  Any discussions are typically instructor centric with the instructor controlling the flow of the conversation.  Instructors often respond to questions by providing guidance and feedback.
Typically, this pattern of teaching also involves giving students the task of reading from a textbook or practicing a concept by working on a problem set, for example, on their own.  

The flipped classroom shifts the instruction to a learner-centered model.  Instead of a lecture, the classroom is used to create learning opportunities while students are introduced to new topics outside of the workshop.

Methods include instructor-prepared videos, online discussions, research on the internet, and text are the primary delivery mechanisms.  The general rule of thumb is that each lesson should be somewhere between eight and twelve minutes.

Flipped classrooms redefine in-class activities. In-class lessons accompanying flipped classrooms may include activity learning or more traditional homework problems, among other practices, to engage learners in the content. Activities vary but may include: group discussions, working in teams, individual activities, and project-based learning.  This types of active learning allows for highly differentiated instruction, more time can be spent in the workshop and in higher-order thinking skills such as problem identification, collaboration, design and problem-solving as learners tackle difficult problems, work in groups, research, and construct knowledge with the help of their instructor and peers.

An instructor’s interaction with learners in a flipped classroom can be more personalized and less didactic, and learners are actively involved in knowledge acquisition and construction as they participate in and evaluate their learning.

Thanks for coming in today.

Chris

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