Page 8 - ELG2301 Jan Issue 483

RESEARCH NEWS .

By Gillian Ragsdale
Methods of flipped learning need
to be better defined in order to
prove they are more effective
compared to traditional lesson
planning, as much of the
apparent advantage may be due
to just more time spent on the
content overall, according to a
meta-analysis by Manu Kapur
at the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology (ETH), Zurich,
and colleagues at Melbourne
University, Australia.
Flipped learning, where students
learn content at home prior
to the classroom lesson, where
the content is explored in more
depth, has increased in popularity
over the past decade. In theory,
this relegates the more passive
part of the learning experience
to pre-class homework, freeing
up precious time with the teacher PHOTOGRAPH ORNA WACHMAN FROM PIXABAY
for more active learning. As
such, this reverses the traditional
model, where the teacher presents
content, then the students are
given homework further exploring
that content.
Kapur’s study sought to test
the assumption that flipped
learning produces better
outcomes in terms of student Flipped learning
understanding of the topic, as
well as their subsequent grades.
This comprehensive meta-
analysis begins with a review of
47 previous meta-analyses up to Weighing up if it’s worth the extra flippin’ work
2019 and then provides a new
meta-analysis combining the
results of these previous studies. was more effective than just class propose a four-point approach to more time, both for students and
The first clear finding is that activities alone. The authors using the flipped classroom: teachers, and the authors point
the effectiveness of flipped suggest that the repetition of the 1. Fail: set pre-class questions that out that much of the advantage of
learning varies enormously from material consolidates learning, test students’ current knowledge flipped learning may be due to the
essentially no effect to very strong. but perhaps this also reflects the and understanding to show what students just spending more time
This suggests that there must be finding that 30% of students don’t they do and don’t know. Even if on the content.
several factors influencing the do the pre-class work. they fail at these tasks, the effort From the teacher’s point of view,
outcome, so the authors proceed It is not easy to do controlled and exploration will lead to better a flipped lecture course has been
to dig into the data to see what studies in education, but the learning overall (the Productive estimated to take 127% more time
these influences might be. authors were able to extract Failure effect). to prepare and 57% more time
Of particular interest is the enough data on lessons using the 2. Flip: students then have further to maintain. If considerations of
choice of pre-class and in- traditional format to make an pre-class content, such as readings effectiveness take teachers’ time
class activities. Much of the overall comparison. This analysis or videos. This is like the usual into consideration, it may be that
pre-class activity is passive, as showed that the traditional flipped model, but the ‘fail’ stage improvements in the traditional
might be expected in a flipped classroom could be just as coming first makes it more effective. classroom, such as more active
classroom. In terms of effective effective as the flipped classroom 3. Fix: in class, check misconceptions learning and use of formative
overall outcomes, reading was if the lesson tasks favoured more by questioning or other tasks, then assessment, can close the gap
more effective than watching a active learning, such as problem- present the content again. In between flipped learning and the
video – which was more effective solving, debate, group work, role this presentation of the content, traditional classroom.
than a PowerPoint presentation. playing and discussion. the teacher knows where the
However, outcomes were best Taken together, it seems that misconceptions are and can use REFERENCE
when the pre-class tasks also the flipped-learning model could this to target the content. n Kapur, M, Hattie, J, Grossman,
involved less-passive activities do with more flipping, working 4. Feedback: the use of formative I and Sinha, T (2022). ‘Fail, flip,
related to problem-solving. best when there is less-passive pre- assessment is important to assess fix, and feed – rethinking flipped
A more surprising finding class work and maintaining some outcomes. learning: a review of meta-analyses
was that a short teacher-led teacher-led content presentation and a subsequent meta-analysis’,
presentation (or lecture, at in the classroom. From their One of the drawbacks of flipped Frontiers in Education, 7: 956416.
university level) in the classroom detailed analysis, the authors learning is that it takes so much doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.956416
8 January 2023