Flipped Classroom Facts and Figures

By: Justin Ferriman • November 8, 2013
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flipped-classroom1It isn’t uncommon for classrooms today to be flipped, but what exactly is a flipped classroom?

For some this may be a new term, but it has actually been around for the last decade or so, but it is becoming more popular in today’s educational setting.

A flipped classroom is when the lecture that is normally done in class is delivered in a different format, such as video, and students view this lecture content on their own time at home.

Instead of giving the lecture in class, the teacher engages their students with various activities. These can take the form of labs, simulations, and exercises. The most important aspect is that the teacher gives individual attention during this time.

What are the Benefits?

While the traditional model certainly has its place, a flipped classroom approach that leverages out-of-hours elearning does have its benefits.

This model allows for a better teacher and student interaction, improved test scores, and more effective student engagement. What’s more, if a student misses a day of class, they can catch up quickly since they always have access to the course content through the elearning modules.

One particular case study of Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, MI shows some pretty impressive results. When a flipped model was implemented, they found:

  • The English class failure rate decreased from 52% to 19%
  • The Math class failure rate decreased from 44% to 13%
  • The Social Studies failure rate decreased from 28% to 9%
  • The entire 9th grade failure rate went down 33% in one year

Needless to say, the flipped approach had pretty significant results for this particular school.

The Future of the Flipped Classroom

Given the tangible results of a flipped classroom, we can reasonably expect to see more of it over time. The technology today just makes it too easy.

For example, one study has found that roughly 12 million college students are already taking one (or more) of their courses via elearning. In 2014, it is estimated that 3.55 million students will take all of their courses online.

Technology is a driving factor for the adoption of the flipped classroom. All a teacher needs to do is implement a classroom learning management system to deliver their learning online.

This sounds complicated, but WordPress has been used in this capacity for quite some time given its ease-of-use and ability to support nearly all media types – and using a learning management plugin like LearnDash just makes it all that much easier.

The traditional educational landscape is changing quite rapidly, and the conduit is technology. Elearning has made learning more accessible, and devices like tablets and smartphones make for constant accessibility. It will be exciting to see how the flipped method is refined and evolves over time.

 

Sources:

“The Flipped Class: Myths vs. Reality” -thedailyriff.com
“Flipped classrooms put students in charge of learning” -thegazette.com
“My View: Flipped classrooms give ever student a chance to succeed” -schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com
“The Post Lecture Classroom: How will Students Fare?” -theatlatnic.com
“Promise of the ‘flipped classroom’ eludes poorer school districts” -hechingerreport.org
Cambell.edu
jconline.com
knewton.com
proprofs.com/training

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter