Students in a Year Nine eLearning Maths class at
Christchurch Boys' High School regularly experience flipped learning. Flipped
learning is a teaching approach which reverses the typical teaching and
learning programme. Bergmann and Sams (2012) defined the flipped classroom as
“that which is traditionally done in class is now done at home, and that which
is traditionally done as homework is now completed in class”. Using this
approach, students can gain the necessary basic knowledge before class, and
class time can be better used to allow students to work at a level specific to
their ability.
Many researchers and teachers have reported positive outcomes of
a flipped, approach to teaching (Baker, 2000; Lage, Platt, 2000; Bergmann, J.,
Overmyer, J., & Wilie, B; Wright, 2011; Pearson, 2012). While many of the
reports are anecdotal, the sheer number of reported successful uses of a
flipped teaching approach provides some evidence of a powerful method of
effective teaching and learning.
In an eLearning Maths class at
Christchurch Boys' High School, all students and teachers use Maths Buddy as a
key tool for the 'pre-homework' phase of a flipped learning approach.
"The Maths
Buddy program ... gives students the opportunity to watch, listen and re-do
maths lessons again, to stop and rewind the teacher when needed. Maths Buddy
allows the student to learn from an excellent teacher with the powerful help of
sight and sound – a super effective combination where improvement is
guaranteed." Information for teachers (n.d.)
In the pre-homework phase students are
set Maths Buddy activities which involve animations, questions and worksheets
about Maths content which is due to be taught the next day in class. Using this
format, the teacher has found students are more prepared for the lesson, ask
better questions in class time and may have more confidence to participate in
class discussions.
A Flipped learning approach appears to be beneficial for the
students in the eLearning class, but perhaps even more beneficial for the
teacher. Maths Buddy provides the teacher with a wealth of valuable formative
assessment information. Students who achieve very high grades in the Maths
Buddy pre-homework tasks work with similar high performing students in the
'experts group' during class time. Students in the experts group work on activities
usually set for Year 10 students. Meanwhile students whose level of achievement
in the Maths Buddy pre-homework was not as high, work in similar ability groups
and are given extra help from their teacher to revise content. "Flipped learning helps teachers move away from
direct instruction as their primary teaching tool toward a more
student-centered approach" Sams &
Bergmann (2013).
While one size does not fit all, and
there are a range of effective teaching practices, a flipped learning approach
looks to be a valuable tool for the modern teacher and is made much easier with
the use of technology. With a clear focus on improving student achievement, teachers
of eLearning classes at Christchurch Boys' High School have a wealth of tools
at their disposal to continue their commitment to enhancing boys’ achievement.
REFERENCES:
Baker, J.W. (2000). The “classroom
flip”: Using web course management tools to become the guide by the side. In
Selected Papers from the 11th International Conference on College Teaching and
Learning, (pp. 9-17).. Available online at http://works.bepress.com/j_wesley_baker/21/
Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip
your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day. International
Society for Technology in Education.
Bergmann, J., Overmyer, J., &
Wilie, B. (2011). The flipped class: Myths vs. Reality. The Daily Riff.
Enfield, J. (2013). Looking at the
Impact of the Flipped Classroom Model of Instruction on Undergraduate
Multimedia Students at CSUN. TechTrends, 14-27.
Lage, M., & Platt, G. (2010). The Internet
and the Inverted Classroom. The Journal of Economic Education, 11-11.
Pearson, G. (2012). Students, parents
give thumbs-up to Flipped Classroom. Education Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/students
-parents-give-thumbs-flipped-classroom
Sams, A., & Bergmann, J. (2013).
Flip Your Students' Learning. Educational Leadership, 70(6), 16-20. Chicago
Information for Teachers. (n.d.).
Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.mathsbuddy.co.nz/info-for-parents.html
Wright, S. (2011). The Flip: why I
love it and how i use it. Retrieved from http://plpnetwork.com
/2011/07/25/the-flip-why-i-love-it-how-i-use-it/http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ982840.pdf
