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The Flipped Classroom: An Opportunity To Engage Millennial Students Through Active Learning Strategies AMY ROEHL SHWETA LINGA REDDY GAYLA JETT SHANNON "Flipping" the classroom employs easy-to-use, into the classroom is critical in order to reach readily accessihle technology in order to free class Millennial students. This review of the literature time from lecture. This allows for an expanded investigates the "flipped" or "inverted" classroom range of learning activities during class time. Using model (Bergmann & Sams, 2012; Lage, Platt, & class time for active learning versus lecture provides Tregua, 2000) in order to address challenges of opportunities for greater teacher-to-student mentor- student engagement in lecture-based classrooms. ing, peer-to-peer collaboration and cross-disciplinary The authors present an argument for the possible engagement. This review of literature addresses application of this model by educators in the dis- the challenges of engaging today's students in lec- ciplines of family and consumer sciences. ture-based classrooms and presents an argument for application of the "flipped classroom" model hy Millennials reared on rapidly evolving educators in the disciplines of family and consumer technologies demonstrate decreased sciences. A sense of urgency to adapt to Millennial tolerance for lecture-style learning preferences is heightened as educators dissemination of course information. increasingly struggle to capture the attention of today's students. Unlike previous generations, Millennials reared on rapidly evolving technologies demonstrate decreased tolerance for lecture-style The Millennial Student dissemination of course information (Prensky, MiUennials are individuals born between 1982 and 2001). Incorporation of active learning strategies 2002 (Wilson & Gerber, 2008). Millennial students, referred to as "digital natives" (Prensky, 2001), Amy Roehl (o.<ío/im@ícu.edu) is Assistant Professor of Inte- have been exposed to information technology from rior Design, Shweta Linga Reddy, PhD, is Assistant Professor a very young age. MiUennials' access to technology, of Fashion Merchandising and Gayla jett Shannon Is Assistant information, and digital media is greater than that Professor of Professional Practice in Interior Design. All are in of any prior generation. According to McMahon the Department of Interior Design & Merchandising at Texas and Pospisil (2005), characteristics of Millennial Christian University, Fort Worth, TX. 44 VOL. 105 NO. 2 2013 JFCS students include 24/7 information connectedness, Chickering and Gamson (1987) suggested a preference for environments that support multi- seven principles as ideal best practices in active tasking, and gravitation toward group activity and learning. Active learning is an umbrella term for appreciation of the social aspects of learning. This pedagogies focusing on student activity and stu- generation is distinguished by their access to tech- dent engagement in the learning process (Prince, nological and collaborative experiences. 2004). Teaching methods promoting active learn- Millennial students drive change in learning ing are those "instructional activities involving stu- environments around the world. The technology, dents in doing things and thinking about what with which digital natives matured, has induced they are doing" (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 1). today's students to "think and process information Activities should be designed to emphasize impor- fundamentally differently from their predecessors" tant learning outcomes requiring thoughtful partic- (Prensky, 2001, p. 1). Although educators bemoan ipation on the part of the student (Prince, 2004). this generations' inability to focus. Millennial expert Four broad categories of instructional Marc Prensky (2010) pointed out that "it is not our approaches for use in an active learning classroom students' attention capabilities that have changed, have been identified: (a) individual activities, (b) but rather their tolerance and needs" (p. 2). This paired activities, (c) informal small groups, and (d) characteristic actually validates the urgency to adopt cooperative student projects (Zayapragassarazan & alternative methods of instruction, and many teach- Kumar, 2012). These methods encompass many ers are incorporating active learning strategies as a activities such as conceptual mapping, brainstorm- better way to engage these students. ing, collaborative writing, case-based instruction, cooperative learning, role-playing, simulation, proj- Educators must shift from a teaching- ect-based learning, and peer teaching (Zayapragas- sarazan & Kumar, 2012). Active learning methods centered paradigm toward a learner- require students to utilize higher-order thinking centered paradigm. skuls such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). This more hohstic approach to instruction engages students with varied learning styles and appeals to the typical Active Learning Millennial learner who thrives in an environment For decades, educators and educational researchers of variety and change (Prensky, 2010); have questioned the effectiveness of teaching meth- ods that are entirely lecture-based (Barr & Tagg, The Flipped Classroom 1995). Despite innovations in technology enabling Active learning pedagogies continue to evolve, alternative techniques for pedagogy, lecture formats and new methods of delivering course material are continue to be the primary method for teaching being developed. Assimilating active learning can adult learners (Bligh, 2000). Educators and research- be as simple as integrating in-class activities along- chers have come to recognize the "complexities of side traditional lecture. Yet educators in elemen- teaching and learning for understanding as opposed tary through post-secondary education are finding to just knowledge retention" (Ritchhart, Church, & innovative ways to restructure the classroom (Strayer, Morrison, 2011, p. 7). If the goal of teaching is to 2007) in order to focus attention on the learner engender understanding, educators must move (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). Instructors adopting from rote memorization of knowledge and facts, the flipped classroom model assign the class lec- known as "surface learning," toward "deep learn- ture or instructional content as homework. In ing," where understanding is developed through preparation for class, students are required to "active and constructive processes" (Ritchhart et al., view the lecture. According to Tucker (2012), stu- 2011, p. 7). To achieve this objective, educators dents utilize the time in class to work through must shift from a teaching-centered paradigm problems, advance concepts, and engage in col- toward a learner-centered paradigm. laborative learning. VOL. 105 NO. 2 2013 JFCS 45 Lage et al. (2000) performed a study using the students' access prior to class. The implementa- flipped classroom for an economics course. They tion of computer-aided instruction (CAI) can be found easy-to use, readily accessible technology to used to assess the likelihood of success in a develop course materials for the flipped model. flipped classroom within different disciplines. These instructors reported spending about 2 hours per topic to create videotaped lectures and digital A flipped, or inverted, classroom model slide presentations with voiceovers. Although con- could be adapted easily to multiple tact hours remained the same, they found prepara- tion time was significantly reduced after the initial disciplines such as textile design, groundwork was completed. They reported that apparel design and construction, question and answer sessions at the beginning of interior design, and nutrition. each class took about 10 minutes of class time fol- lowed by students working and learning together I on "an economic experiment or lab that corre- sponded to the topic being covered" (p. 4). As Slocum and Beard (2005) provided a list of anticipated by Blair (2012), the use of flipped topics for which CAI has been developed. Among classrooms could result in less effort creating lec- the topics are textiles, flat pattern design con- ture presentations. This increase in available time cepts, concepts in clothing construction, and might be redirected to create in-class activities that visualizing three-dimensional designs from two- deepen concepts and increase student's knowledge dimensional patterns. Slocum and Beard (2005) retention. argued that the development of additional CAI With internet access widely available on most modules could allow instructors to use limited college and university campuses, students may class time to guide students through unique learn- view web-based instruction on their own time, at ing paths appropriate to individual skill level or their own pace. This provides opportunities to uti- project needs. Therefore, we can safely deduce lize the classroom for the application of informa- that the flipped classroom could be beneficial for tion addressed in the online lecture. Because topics where class lecture is predominantly uti- students have viewed the lecture prior to class, lized to provide instruction. For example, imple- contact hours can be devoted to problem solving, menting the flipped classroom in clothing con- skill development, and gaining a deeper under- struction would allow students and instructors to standing of the subject matter (Bergmann & Sams, focus class time on skill development, problem 2012). The teacher is able to provide students with solving, and active learning of construction con- a wide range of learner-centered opportunities in cepts while executing assignments. class for greater teacher-to-student.mentoring and Similarly, Byrd-Bredbenner and Bauer (1991) peer-to-peer collaboration, increasing the possibil- conducted an experimental study to conipare the . ity to engage Millennial students (Prensky, 2010).. effectiveness of the CAI modules with traditional lectures for a college nutrition course. Their find- Learning Using Non-Lecture Based Strategies ings indicated that students enjoyed using CAI A flipped, or inverted, classroom model could be and that nutrition knowledge was improved. The adapted easily to multiple disciplines such as tex- benefit of a mixed method technique (Carew, tile design, apparel design and construction, inte- Chamberlain & Alster, 1997; Zubas, Heiss, & rior design, and nutrition. Of particular relevance Pedersen, 2006) was evident in studies conducted are courses in which a lecture is primarily based in the discipline of nutrition; students who accessed on disseminating information and learning occurs lecture material posted online or completed self- when students apply these instructions to com- paced online tutorials in addition to attending plete a task or an assignment. The flipped class- the traditional classroom lecture demonstrated room model suggests the use of a variety of improved test scores in the respective nutrition technologies in preparing and posting lessons for courses. All of the above findings support Wishart 46 vol. 105 10. 2 2013 JFCS and Bleases' (1999) claim that environments in allows instructors to improve communication and which technology is used innovatively can lead to connection with students possessing a broad range both improved learning outcomes and teaching. of abilities. Technology provides opportunities for teachers to meet the needs of students with various learning The time gained by removing the styles through the use of multiple media (Bryant lecture portion from class allows for &Hunton, 2000). more one-on-one personal engagement Benefits of Using a Flipped Classroom Model between the teacher and students. Instructors implementing a flipped classroom use various methods for preparing the online content. L Strayer (2007) made useful observations and sug- With a traditional lecture format, teachers gestions for instructors who consider using the might not be aware of student progress until after flipped classroom model. When the focus of the testing (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). A flipped flipped classroom is on.giving students the free- classroom allows teachers greater insight into stu- dom to interact with the content according to their dents' grasp of information and learning as a result own learning style, the flip seems to be more suc- of increased student/teacher interaction. The time cessful. Due to the structural differences of the gained by removing the lecture portion from class flipped classroom model, students becoine more allows for more one-on-one personal engagement aware of their own learning process than do stu- between the teacher and students. Furthermore, a dents in more traditional settings. Students will flipped classroom allows students who may be hes- therefore need more space to reflect on their learn- itant to ask questions in the middle of a lecture to ing activities in order to make necessary connec- seek assistance from the teacher during their indi- tions to course content. The teacher must plan for vidual feedback sessions. Students also have the a component in the course structure allowing for opportunity to "replay" the lectures several times reflection to take place. It is important for the before formulating their questions. teacher to be able to see and comment on specific Additional benefits of the flipped classroom aspects of student reflection. This feedback cycle model include the ability for the class to move for- will be crucial in assessing student learning. ward despite both teacher and student absences. Flipped classroom pedagogy has the potential to When the focus of the flipped address situations in which students miss lectures classroom is on giving students the due to illness and for students who are engaged in freedom to interact with the content university-supported activities such as athletics. It allows absent students to stay on track without according to their own learning style, lengthy interaction with the instructor. Similarly, it the flip seems to be more successful. is beneficial for teachers as it allows students to move forward with course material even when the teacher is absent. This feature enables the course to proceed as scheduled without unnecessary delays. Flipping the classroom allows for a range of teaching methodologies to be employed such as Limitations of Using a Flipped Classroom Model videotaping the instructor while lecturing, creating The flipped classroom may not be applicable to all videos with voiceover and screen-capture software, subjects. For instance, Strayer (2007, 2012) per- instructions accompanied by visual aids, utilizing formed a comparative study between a flipped videos found online from sources such as YouTube classroom and the traditional classroom for an and TeacherTube, and integrating discipline-specific introductory statistics course. The findings of this websites of videos available through professional study demonstrated that students participating in organizations and companies (Roehl, 2013). This the flipped classroom were less satisfied with the VOL. 105 NO. 2 2013 JFCS 47
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