UNIVERSITY OF BALAMAND

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Education Department

Technology Integration in Education

EDUC 340
Current and Future Trends in Educational Technology – Flipped Classroom

Lamis Al Hakim
Dr Ghania Zgheib

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 History
The flipped classroom model of instruction became extremely popular in recent years (Fitzpatrick, 2012,

as cited from Brame, 2013). Consequently, the current pandemic had enormous repercussions on the

educational system making this model trendy.

The flipped classroom was introduced in Colorado by Jonathan Bergmann, the pioneer of the flipped

classroom model, and his colleague Aaron Sams (Bergmann, & Sams, 2012). In the spring of 2007, both

chemistry teachers began recording their lessons using screen capture software after they noticed that it was

hard to deliver educational content to students who miss their classes (Bergmann, & Sams, 2012). Bergmann

and Sams started using this model by calling it “pre-broadcasting” (Trach, 2020). They then posted their

lectures online so students could have access and also added audio and annotations to PowerPoint slide shows

(Bergmann, & Sams, 2012). In such environments, students access learning content related to topics that they

will learn outside the classroom through different tools and materials such as recorded lecture videos,

interactive online activities, readings, and practice exercises (Brame, 2013). Bergmann and Sams “give credit

to Maureen Lage, Glenn Platt, and Michael Treglia’s for their paper entitled “Inverting the Classroom” for

getting things started in 2000” (Trach, 2020). However, the approach back then didn’t gain attention due to

rare resources and knowledge around the method. The flipped classroom, if approached correctly, reform

classroom time into a personalized experience (Trach, 2020).

Several schools began using the flipped classroom model after 2007, allowing students to start their course

study by learning concepts and skills at their own pace. The Center for Digital Education conducted a survey

that indicated the utilization of the flipped classroom by 29 percent of the teachers (Bart, 2013). Research

conducted in 2018-2019 by the Global State of Digital Learning published remarkable understandings

regarding different instructional methods used among schools (Trach, 2020). The survey, taken by 9,279

educational professionals from all across the United States, indicated that flipped classrooms were used by

28.5 percent among professional educators hence not widely practiced (Trach, 2020).

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 A general overview of the environments in which it is being used

The flipped classroom is a learner-centered innovative approach, a combination of e-learning, and face-to-

face classroom sessions. Students are encouraged to engage in self-learning pre-class. In-class time, teachers

provide students with opportunities to practice and apply to promote deeper understanding and engagement in

the material learned. In this context, many schools, colleges, universities, and educational centers have adopted

this approach. The flipped classroom has deep connections to active learning, and that made it spread

considerably throughout K-12 education. Based on a survey conducted by The Flipped Learning Network and

taken by around 500 teachers, the flipped classroom is prevalent in junior high and high schools (Finkel, 2012).

Additionally, the model was widespread in fourth and fifth grades, mostly in science and math classes (Finkel,

2012).

The flipped classroom reorganizes the class where teachers “lead in-class discussions or turn the classroom

into a studio where students create, collaborate and put into practice what they learned from the lectures they

view outside class” (Educause, 2012). Several teaching methods are approached during class time to explain

the content, check for understanding, and monitor students’ progress (Educause, 2012). Online quizzes and

activities are implemented in post-class to assess students learning, as well as applying “immediate quiz

feedback and the ability to rerun lecture segments may help clarify points of confusion” (Educause, 2012).

In higher education, “there is a continuing search on how to improve the quality of higher education so that

students are able to achieve the intended learning goals” (Boevé, Meijer, and Bosker, 2017, p.2). The flipped

classroom aims to actively engage students in higher education by necessitating the student’s readiness before

class time and be engaged actively in face-to-face sessions (Boevé, Meijer, and Bosker, 2017).

Colleges or pre-universities widely use the flipped classroom model of learning. A study was done at a

college in Malaysia “to inspect the effect of flipped classrooms on computer science students’ engagement

levels among pre-university students” (Subramaniam, & Muniandy, 2019). The study indicated that “computer

science students were observed to be less engaged during the lecture of information system topic. Students fail

to answer questions which need them to apply information system concepts into the real-world situation.

Hence, the flipped classroom approach is explored to solve the problem” (Subramaniam, & Muniandy, 2019).

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 Thus, the flipped classroom method is evident to be used in different learning environments. In a flipped

classroom, the educator becomes a guide and facilitator who helps learners acquire the content knowledge

independently (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). Consequently, the flipped classroom plays a role in changing the

students’ learning manner from passive receipt to active one and reestablishes aspiration and self-assurance in

learning.

Real examples

Prensky (2001) indicated that we are living in the time of digital natives. Hence, if teachers want to teach

the new generation, they should reform their methods of teaching according to students learning styles

(Prensky, 2001). Most students follow up on technology and possess a smartphone or tablet. Besides, they also

use the internet to follow up on social media or look for information. For that reason, teachers must find

innovative educational tools, methods to present educational material in an attractive way capturing students’

attention. Flipped classrooms in this regard aimed to carry teaching outside the class, attract attention, and

increase students’ readiness. A video production class at Algonquin College started utilizing the flipped

classroom to teach mechanisms of editing software, a process that is challenging to teach during class lectures

(Educause, 2012). Students watched short recorded tutorial lectures that allowed them to move at their own

pace, recheck information, and skip the parts they understood (Educause, 2012). Therefore, students were able

to apply their understanding and create creative projects in class premises (Educause, 2012). With regards to

Bloom’s modified taxonomy (2001), students are meeting the lower levels of cognitive work outside class

while achieving the higher levels of cognitive skills during class time with the support and guidance of the

teacher (Brame, 2013).

A successful example of a flipped classroom is also shown at Harvard University, “one physics professor

not only employs the flipped model but has also developed a correlative site, Learning Catalytic, that provides

instructors with free interactive software enabling students to discuss, apply, and get feedback from what they

hear in lecture” (Educause, 2012). At Woodland Park High School in Colorado Bergmann and Sams

encouraged students to pause the videos and jot down main ideas in the recorded lecture (Bergmann & Sams,

2012). They also trained them in the Cornell note-taking method, where students take notes, write their

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inquiries, and summarize their understanding (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). Students who followed this scheme

of note-taking usually attended classes with proper questions that help Bergmann and Sams address the

student’s misunderstandings (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). On the other hand, those questions were essential to

evaluate the effectiveness of Bergmann and Sams videos (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). They both affirmed that

“if every student has a similar question, we clearly did not teach that topic well, and we make a note to remake

or correct that particular video” (Bergmann & Sams, 2012, p.24).

In Stillwater, Public Schools piloted the flipped classroom project from September through January 2011

in the six and fifth-grade math classrooms (Finkel, 2012). According to their project, the approach positively

affected students’ attitudes towards math and enabled teachers to cover more material (Finkel, 2012).

Moreover, the survey indicated that “parents felt their students were doing better and had an improved attitude

toward math, the teachers appreciated the opportunities for differentiation and wanted to stick with flipped

learning” (Finkel, 2012, p.30).

Clintondale High School started using the flipped classroom with one civics teacher who sent out videos

to their students, later expanded to about six classrooms, the school took the initiative to send out videos to

baseball players about the essentials of baseball to maximize their practice time (Finkel, 2012). Accordingly,

the results in the Clintondale Community Schools indicated that the “failure rate among freshman math

students dropped from 44 percent to 13 percent in one year’s time, while juniors taking the state math exams

improved by 10 percent over the previous year” (Finkel, 2012, p.30).

Issues related to this trend

Due to its novelty, the flipped classroom approach has many issues that are not agreed on yet. This model

of teaching has many practicing styles and challenges. Bergmann and Sams claimed that a flipped classroom

does not focus on only creating videos asserting that not all teachers use videos as instructional tools

(Bergmann & Sams, 2012). According to a study done by Lo and Hew (2017), “challenges of the flipped

classroom are categorized into three main themes: student-related challenges, faculty-related challenges, and

operational challenges” (Betihavas, 2016 as cited from Lo & Hew, 2017 p.6). A downside to flipped learning

is creating the video content that takes most of the teachers’ time. In their study, Lo and Hew claimed that it is

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hard to find videos that seamlessly target the teacher’s objectives and students’ learning, clarifying how time-

consuming it is to create instructional videos (Chen 2016, p. 418 as cited from Lo & Hew, 2017). Thus, if the

videos created are long, students might get bored and lose focus. Therefore, resulting in students spending

more time in front of the screen since “watching videos was considered the least effective and least enjoyable

classroom activity” (Kettle 2013, p. 594 as cited from Lo & Hew, 2017). Bergman and Sams have found that

breaking down videos into shorter lectures helps students attain the knowledge better and saves teachers’ time

(Bergmann and Sams, 2012). Besides, students used to the traditional model of teaching may face some

challenges in adapting to this new model and adapting themselves. Hence, if teachers prepare videos that are

not relevant, short, and clear, they end to be counterproductive and make it hard for students to understand.

A survey steered by the Center for Digital Education reported another challenge with flipped classrooms,

which claimed the need for teachers’ professional development, enabling teachers to utilize the approach

successfully (Bart, 2013). The flipped classroom significantly relies on technology, obliging students to access

the content online at their own pace from home (Trach, 2020). Hence may result in a digital gap between

students from different socioeconomic levels, where students who lack internet access and technological

resource struggle the most (Trach, 2020). Lo and Hew pointed out in their research that “several studies

revealed problems about students’ IT resources: it was found that although most participants had their own

mobile devices, many did not have enough Internet access authorization at home” (Wang 2016, p. 411 as cited

from Lo & Hew, 2017). Teachers indulge in a significant amount of time trying to teach students how to work

collaboratively and active learners. However, students may not acquire the notion of being active participants.

Therefore, teachers may encounter many problems, including technical ones, while monitoring their students’

learning (Lo & Hew, 2017). According to Lo and Hew, an additional weakness is that students are unable to

ask direct questions, as they could during class premises (Lo & Hew, 2017). In real class time, students have

time to ask teachers for explanations and misunderstandings. However, when students practice competencies

in the flipped classroom, students will have individuality, depth of knowledge, and more powerful outcomes

(Trach, 2020).

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 References

Bergmann J., Sams A., (2012). Flip your classroom reach every student in every class every day. U.S Flip
your Classroom e-book

Brame, C., (2013). Flipping the classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved from
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/

Bart, M., (2013). In blended and flipped learning: survey confirms growth of the flipped classroom.
Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/blended-flipped-learning/survey-confirms-growth-of-
the-flipped-classroom/

Boevé, A.J., Meijer, R.R., Bosker, R.J. et al.(2017) Implementing the flipped classroom: an exploration of
study behaviour and student performance. High Educ 74, 1015–1032. https://doi-
org.ezsecureaccess.balamand.edu.lb/10.1007/s10734-016-0104-y

Educause, (2012). 7 things you should know about flipped classrooms. Retrieved from
https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2012/2/eli7081-pdf.pdf

Finkel, E. (2012). Flipping the script in k12. district administration, 48(10), 28–34.
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezsecureaccess.balamand.edu.lb/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ff3a4d11-
0e2f-4231-b116-73ccb0b3392c%40pdc-v-sessmgr02

Lo, C.K., Hew, K.F. (2017) A critical review of flipped classroom challenges in K-12 education: possible
solutions and recommendations for future research. RPTEL 12, 4. https://doi-
org.ezsecureaccess.balamand.edu.lb/10.1186/s41039-016-0044-2

Prensky, M (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved from

https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-
%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Subramaniam, S.R., Muniandy, B. (2019). The effect of flipped classroom on students’ engagement. Tech
Know Learn 24, 355–372. https://link-springer-com.ezsecureaccess.balamand.edu.lb/article/10.1007/s10758-
017-9343-y#citeas

Trach, E. (2020) A beginner's guide to flipped classroom. Retrieved from

https://www.schoology.com/blog/flipped-classroom