What is a flipped classroom?

- [Voiceover] In this course, we'll take a look at how to create a flipped class using Office Mix. First, let's take a look at what a flipped class is. The traditional model of education often involves an instructor or sage on the stage who delivers content to students. The students write down the information, complete homework assignments, and then take assessments to see how much of the information they remembered. This brings up a couple important points. First, in today's digital age, we have access to more tools and technologies than we've ever had access to before.

This allows us to create amazing content through video, documents, infographics, and more that we can then share with our students. We can help provide students with access to this technology, and they can develop important technical skills along the way. Not to mention that through this technology, we have access to more information than we've ever had before. The need to memorize and regurgitate facts is not as important as it once was. I'd argue that there's more valuable ways that we can engage students during the short amount of time that they're in our classroom.

Second, in today's digital age, our students need a much different set of skills than the ones they get through only traditional education. This includes the ability to innovate and create as the world continues to change at exponential rates. This causes another need, the ability to be a self-directed learner, someone who knows how to learn effectively using a wide variety of formats including video, and 21st century skills including critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and inquiry skills. What if there's a way that instead of just lecturing to students, we could engage our students in higher-order thinking and help them develop these skills while they were in the classroom? Enter the flipped class.

In the flipped classroom model, the instructor helps to guide students by creating or curating ways to deliver the content to the student. This allows for the student to use time outside of the classroom to become familiarized with the required information. Then during class, the instructor can be the guide by the side as he or she engages the students in higher-order thinking activities. Examples of this are projects, classroom discussions, labs, or learning how to learn and becoming a self-directed learner.

I can tell you from experience that it's amazing to have students arrive to class familiar with the material so that the conversation can start out at a higher level. Also, as an instructor, it allows you to be with your students when they need you the most. They don't need you to present the material in person. They need you to help them understand how to use that information to engage in higher-order thinking. Some other great benefits of the flipped class is that it allows students to listen or read at their own pace when it works best for them. It allows educators to personalize education.

It's a great way to have students review topics, and it's easier to get a student who misses class caught up on the required content. I'll talk more about flipped classes throughout the course. I also encourage you to learn more about flipped classes by watching "Flipping the Classroom" in our library by Aaron Quigley. And I also recommend reading books by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams who are two wonderful teachers that have implemented the flipped classroom with great success.