Recently, I was reading an article on AZ Central.com  (see link below) that described how Chandler School District  (In AZ) was changing its teaching model. Rather than the normal mode of instruction where students come to class on a daily basis to receive lectures and then go home to practice, this school district has decided to flip the script.

Instead of students coming to school to sit through lectures or other types of direct instruction teachers make video and audio learning modules that can be accessed from home. Students then watch these recorded learning modules and come to school to practice what they have learned.

For years some educators, especially those in math and the sciences, have proposed something similar. Their reasoning? It is better to have students under your supervision as they practice and try to master new skills than to let them be on their own, make mistakes, and ingrain those mistakes in their memories. I too believe that this is a compelling model of education that can create space for one-on-one instruction with students, remediation, and enrichment. Also, I believe that online education has the opportunity to utilize this model right now.

As teachers within the online world find ways to capture content and make it available in asynchronous formats for students, time becomes more available for direct student interaction surrounding the mastery of academic objectives. For example, by creating a screen cast of a particular concept- such as how to structure essay- educators can allow students the opportunity to view direct instruction on their own timetable leaving valuable office hours available for small group or one-on-one practice.

Surely, written lectures have been doing this in online education for years, but new inexpensive technologies from web cams, podcasts, and others are making content dynamic, personable, and easily accessible. (Not to mention more passive to consume) When students can see or hear the passion of their teacher in a format that humanizes what flat text lectures can not, teachers have the chance to change the focus from hoping students will read and learn, to giving students the chance to engage in content and then come to discussions ready to practice.  Below are some ideas on how to (1) capture teaching content and teach it to students and (2) how to create opportunities to practice in-class.

Ideas for Flipping the Script in the Online World: (paste links in your bowser)

Lecture and Instruction

• Use screen casts to capture lectures of course content- see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/screencastomatic/screencastomatic-demonstration
• Use Animoto to present material in professionally a mixed way- see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/animoto/animoto-demonstration
• Create a virtual collection of content for your students using Live Binder-See: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/livebinder/livebindersflv
• Record interviews or audio lectures using audacity- see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/audacity/audacityflv
• Create presentations students can click through to learn materials-see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/prezi/preziflv

Ideas for in-class Practice

• Use a conference calls to do group or one on one practice after students have previously viewed lectures etc -see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/blogs/teachinghighlights/freeconferencecallcom
• Use polls in the discussion forums to create checks for understanding-see: http://www.polleverywhere.com/
• Create a few additional discussion posts that asks students to demonstrate their knowledge or skills
• Use one-on-one phone calls or Skype to help students who are struggling- see: http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/technologyteachingtools/skype/skype-demonstration

References:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/03/31/20120331arizona-school-online-flipping.html

http://cirt.gcu.edu/teaching/tools