from podium to podcast: how to flip your classroom & enhance student engagement

Anne Distler, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Terri Pope, Professor of Biology

terri.pope@tri-c.edu & anne.distler@tri-c.edu

From Podium to Podcast: How To Flip Your Classroom & Enhance Student

Engagement

Have you ever…

Had too much material and not enough instructional time?

Have you ever…

Wondered about the attention span of today’s students?

Have you ever…

Given an entire lecture without a single student question?

Have you ever…

Had multiple students asking the same questions during office hours ?

A Flipped Course May Be For You!

Getting Started!

Major Reasons to Flip Your Course

• Effective use of class time

• Student engagement

• Student attendance issues

How to Flip Your Class

• Start with a course you know well!

• Revisit –course outline–performance objectives – learning outcomes

How to Flip Your Class

• Make sure your content is aligned with outcomes–This is a good time to eliminate

or add content

• Divide the content:– Topic–Chapter– Learning Module

How to Flip Your Class

• Develop lectures / presentations for each topic

How to Flip Your Class• Identify those areas that are

frequently problematic for students • Find a way to address these topics• Class sessions or maybe a game• www.Chembiogame.com

How to Flip Your Class

• Consider use of pretests or software such as LearnSmart to assess areas of need

• LearnSmart Demo

Sorting Out the Curriculum

Online• Vocab./Terminology• Structures• Images• Undisputed facts• Clear narratives• Examples• Analogies

On Campus• Complex problems • Discussion points• Disputed content• Practice sessions• Student questions

Lessons Learned

Model• Online Content

prepares students for on-campus work

Reality• Some students

do not have computers

• Not all out-of- classroom preparation needs to be web-based

What we Found

Works best in blended learning courses where students have expectation of online learning component

Lessons Learned

Model• Start Day 1

Flipped

Reality• You can try to Flip

your first day, but be prepared for a slow start

• Students will need time to adjust to class expectations.

First Day Questions• How many of you read or review your

syllabus the first day of class?• How many of your students

remember any of what is on the syllabus?

What we Found

An Activity helps!–Syllabus activity as a warm up–Distribute syllabus, have students complete activity such as crossword puzzle or questionnaire on pertinent information

•Students need to take ownership

What we Found

Lessons Learned

Model• Present lecture

material online as you would on campus

• Record class lectures for re-use

Reality• Divide lectures

into shorter topic-based presentations

What We Found

• Divide lecture content into shorter topic-based presentations

• 5- 15 minutes seems ideal

Example of Mini Content

• Place holder for BB hybrid site.

Resources for Lectures

• Camtasia Relay• Tegrity• Khan Academy • Podcasts• YouTube• Presentation Tube – free version, 15 minutes–http://presentationtube.net/

Resources for Lectures

• Not only lectures or videos• Merlot• Soft Chalk• Reading Assignments

Colossal Failures

• Students do not come to class prepared– It is hard to have a meaningful on-

campus experience if no one is prepared–Plan B vs. creating a culture of

ownership

• Students may not open your carefully crafted course materials

Flipped Checklist 1. Choose a course you know well2. Align course content to objectives3. Divide course material into “units”4. Identify “problem areas”5. Sort content as off-campus or on-

campus

Flipped Checklist

6. Develop “mini” lectures7. Prepare assessments for off-campus

work8. Prepare activities for on-campus

meetings9. Develop patience and a sense of

humor

Anne Distler and Terri Pope

anne.distler@tri-c.eduterri.pope@tri-c.edu