Flipping the Switch

Using a Blended (Flipped) Learning Environment to Help Students

Succeed in Compulsory Courses

Background

Course is…

• a first-year composition course

• required by most degree programs in the institution

• articulated with all equivalent composition courses in BC, which also tend to be required courses

ISSUES

• Required course = learners often reluctant

• Appropriate placement (a variety of prerequisites = lack of consistency)

• Failure rate usually 30-40% (failure = below 60% or “C”)

• Many students retake course (sometimes two and three times)

• Can create a bottleneck for students (4th-year students still taking 1st year requirements)

Two Central Reasons for Failure (and interventions for prevention)

• Inappropriate placement (students do not have language skills appropriate for university-level writing)—Intervention: Early Alert; Learning Centre tutoring, free ACP upgrading courses; attendance at office hours, etc.

• Students do not submit assignments—Intervention: in-class and e-mail reminders; online submission window open 24/7 for ten days.

Research Question:

Which “non-curricular” learning activities/resources do students perceive as

most helpful to achieving a successful outcome in team-taught, blended (flipped) sections of a

compulsory class?

“Non-Curricular Elements”

• Elements not dictated by the course curriculum (as opposed to elements required by the curriculum—i.e., number and nature of assignments; topics covered; outcomes; etc.)

Non-curricular Elements of Blended (Flipped) Classroom

• Online lectures/resources/lessons• Online quizzes• Blogging assignment (with online communities)• In-class quizzes• In-class group work• Formative feedback from peers• Formative feedback from instructors• Team-teaching

First….why blend?• Blended learning: “the thoughtful integration of face-to-face and online learning,”

(Matheos, 2011)

• Addresses “the increasing need and demand to respond to diverse student needs [and] to provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences” (Matheos, 2011);

• Has potential “to offer more flexible, more engaging, and more learning-centered approaches” (Matheos, 2011).

• If well-designed, has potential to offer a higher quality learning environment than either online or fully face-to-face environments (Osguthorpe and Graham , 2003)

• Some research shows that blended learning environments increase students’ chances of success (Waddoups, Hatch, & Butterworth, 2003)

• The blended learning environment is particularly appropriate for academic writing courses because of the emphasis on reading and writing (Brunner, 2006)

Second….why team-teach?

• “a very powerful way of dismantling the outmoded notion that teaching is a matter of one individual's mastery of a specialized subject matter” (Beavers and Deturck)

• “an overlooked ‘low tech’ alternative for facilitating the kind of learning that develops skills in critical thinking and new knowledge construction” (Eisen and Tisdal)

• Student surveys indicate a preference for the model

Online Elements…Online lectures/resources/lessons: • Students view lessons/processes/resources/examples online• Can view/study at convenience numerous times

Online quizzes• Incentive for online participation

Blogging (within small online blogging communities)• Motivates students because they are writing on topics they know about• Students not writing simply to avoid errors (confidence)• Students receive timely responses to their writing from an audience of their

peers (immediacy)• Students are using skills with which they are already familiar (confidence)• Students write throughout semester (not for isolated assignments)

In-class Elements…In-class quizzes• Incentive to review online material and attend class

In-class group work• Practicing skills outlined in online lessons

Formative feedback (from peers and from instructors)• “the process used by teachers and students to recognize and respond to

student learning in order to enhance that learning during learning” (Cowie and Bell, 1999, p. 147).

• Research shows a connection between formative feedback and improvements in student writing

Methodological Approach

• A qualitative/quantitative study employing an Action Research approach

• 35 students who achieved 60% or greater in the course responded to an anonymous, online six-question survey regarding their experiences in team-taught, blended (flipped) sections of ENGL 1100

• Response rate: 64.8%

Why Action Research?

• Current course is the organic result of an ongoing pedagogical experiment we’ve been informally researching and refining for nine years (based on feedback from student surveys)

• Current study is a more formal approach using an Action Research methodology

• Action Research allows for study of future iterations

Action Research Cycle

Question 1Which of the following resources/activities/etc. do you believe were helpful in

your achieving success in ENGL 1100? Please select all that apply:

Online Grammar

Lessons/Qu.

74% 26

Online Lectures/Lessons 77% 27

Blogging Assignment 66% 23

In-class Reading Quizzes 66% 23

Group Work 51% 18

Peer-Editing Workshops 43% 15

Team-Teaching 46% 16

Formative Feedback 83% 29

Other, please specify... 9% 3

Total Responses 35

Q. 1 “other”…

• Instructors being available for questions via email nearly all the time

• Teaching Dynamic

• Discussion between students and professor

Question 2Please explain which of the above list you found MOST helpful to your

achieving success in English 1100 and how it contributed to your success

Formative Instructor Feedback 11

Blogging Assignment 8

Online Lectures/Lessons 7

Team-teaching/Teaching Method/Teacher Enthusiasm

5

Peer-editing 3

Online Grammar Lessons/Quizzes 2

In-class Reading Quizzes 2

“Explaining the Thesis Statement” 1

Question 3Do you believe the blended (partially online) format of

the course was helpful in your achieving success? If so, how did the partially online format help you succeed?

• 91.5% of respondents indicated that they believed the partially online environment contributed to their success in the course.

Questions 4-6

4. Could anything else have been included in ENGL 1100 to help you achieve greater success (for example, video lectures, online group presentations, more/less time spent in class, etc.)?

5. Was anything included in the course that did NOT help you succeed in your recently completed section of English 1100?

6. Is there any other feedback you would like to offer about your recent experience in English 1100?

Analysis

Data interpretation techniques:

– classification– identification of themes– creation of concept maps

Findings

Four themes emerged as to why the chosen element contributed to the students’ success

QualityEngagement

Convenience/FlexibilityIncentive (“easy grades”)

The Blended Learning Environment• 91.5% believed the blended environment contributed to their

success in the course

• Most commented on the blended environment’s quality (“helps you prepare for class better”; “enabled me to grasp concepts a lot faster”; “increased communication between students and instructors”)

• Fewer commented on the blended learning environment as more flexible/convenient

• Some used language related to engagement (“fun,” “not boring,” “non-traditional,” “unique”)

Values Associated with Blended Learning Environment

Blended Learning Environment

Quality

Convenience/FlexibilityEngagement

Feedback from Students on “Non-Curricular

Elements”

Based on Highest Rated Elements

Formative Feedback from Instructors

31.5% of students identified formative feedback from instructors as the

element most helpful in their success; all responses were related to quality

Representative Comments About Formative Instructor Feedback

• “helped me steer my assignments in the right direction”

• “always received great advice” • “a clear indication of whether you are on the

right track”• “if it wasn't for the feedback I wouldn't have got

a good grade on my essays”• “contributed a lot to the improvement of my

writing skills”

Values Associated with Formative Feedback from Instructors

Element: Value(s):

Formative Instructor Feedback

Quality

Blogging (and Blogging Communities)

• Twenty-three percent of students identified blogging as the most helpful element, and, while most responses were related to quality, one student’s comments related to incentive

Representative Comments about Blogs• “engages students to write about a topic that

interests them”• “helped me improve my writing the most” • “allowed you to be creative and discuss a topic of

your interest”• “helped to write to audience other than instructors” • “helped me focus on how to present my ideas and pay

more attention to my writing style and improve it”• “If I had to chose I'd say the blogging because it put

writing into practice”

Values Associated with BloggingElement: Value(s):

Blogging

Quality

Incentive

Online Lectures/Lessons/Resources

• Twenty percent of students identified the online lessons/lectures as most helpful and all remarks related to quality.

Representative Comments About Online Lectures/Lessons/Resources

• “on-line lessons helped me gain a better understanding of the readings”

• “they were really in-depth and provided a lot of answers to questions”

• “if we missed a class, it was easy to catch up. • “helped clear up any of the confusion I had”• “I like that we are assigned readings, resources and lectures

to read prior to each class so we can prepare”• “online lectures all relate to the writing assignments and

help us build our writing skills slowly”• “helps prepare for the in-class lesson better ”

Values Associated with Online Lessons/Lectures/Resources

Element: Value(s):

Online Lectures/Lessons/Resources

Quality

Team-Teaching

• Fourteen percent of students identified team-teaching as most helpful in terms of their success; all remarks related to engagement.

• Interestingly, though only a handful of students selected “team-teaching” as the central element related to their success in the course, many commented on it positively in the final question, which solicited general feedback.

• Comments invariably related to engagement

Representative Comments About Team-Teaching

• “helped me to stay focused”• “kept the class interesting”• “quite amusing”• “dual professor concept was very entertaining”• “team-teaching kept the class active”• “team-teaching made class interesting and lively”• “the team-teaching experience was fantastic”• “was great having 2 teachers”• “having two different instructors allowed for different views • “made the class room discussions more interesting and somehow as a

student you felt more calm”• “very enthusiastic and passionate about what they are teaching”• “a good team”• “compliment each other’s teaching styles”

Values Associated with Team-TeachingElement: Value(s):

Team-Teaching

Engagement

Peer Editing (Formative Feedback from Peers)

• Eight percent identified peer editing as most helpful, and all remarks related to quality.

Representative Comments About Peer Reviews

• “you can see where your problems are”• “helped me cultivate more ideas for my

writing and improved my skills”• “made sure I had my essay draft done on time

and a week prior to handing it in”

Values Associated with Peer-EditingElement: Value(s):

Peer Editing

Quality

Non-Curricular Elements

• all of the responses concerning the highest rated “non-curricular elements”—formative feedback, blogging, online lessons/lectures, team-teaching, and peer-editing--relate primarily to quality

• secondarily to engagement• only one response was related to incentive• and none to convenience/flexibility.

Values Associated with Five Top-Rated “Non-Curricular” Elements

Element: Value(s):

• Formative Feedback,

• Blogging

• Online Lectures/Resources,

• Team-Teaching

• Peer-Editing

Quality

Engagement

Incentive

Selected Responses as to Whether Students Would Choose Blended over Face-to-Face if Given Choice• Yes--because it cuts down time spent in class (less attention span) but improves

efficiency because you can manage time better.• Yes--it forced you to be active in order to succeed rather than just having to show

up to class and sit through an allotted time period.• yes, it was very flexible that helped me to succeed not only in this course but also

my other courses. • Yes, it definitely helped me time wise and was not overwhelming at all as in the

traditional classes. I think this method is successful and will for sure will consider taking classes in this format in the future.

• Yes-I hope Kwantlen offers more partially online courses for students! I personally like this idea!

• Yes--i prefer partially online course because it provides me with more flexibility (with time)

• As the semester went on, I really saw the benefit of the partially online format.

• Will definitely choose future partially online courses.

• Partially online .This is my first time taking a partially online course and i will take it again if an opportunity arises in other courses. Furthermore i will recommend it to anyone who wishes to take Eng 1100

• i would prefer partially online courses for almost every kind of course except those that require applied math/physics.

• I prefer the partially online format for future English courses and even other courses like psychology or something too.

• I prefer partially online as most students today have work.• I would take a partially online course again

• Yes, I loved the partially online format. It enabled me to grasp concepts a lot faster and be able to discuss the things I wasn’t clear on with my professors. I would without a doubt take this format if it was offered with other courses.

• I would definitely take another blended learning course

• Yes-I loved the partially online format! Firstly, I find it really boring to sit in the class for three hours composing essays, so this course was actually fun and not boring or traditional! It's just a unique class :)

Responses from Students who Did not Prefer Blended Model

Only two respondents indicated a preference for the fully face-to-face environment:

• “I didn't like the online part, the lecture was more engaging”

• “I Didn't really learn as well, would of preferred more class time”

Future Directions for Research

1) Action Research/Case Study: Fully face-to-face class wherein students have the options of attending one class per week either online or face-to-face.

2) Blogging: Connecting blogging achievements to success in academic writing.

References

• Action Research. (n.d.). Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching (CELT). Retrieved from http://celt.ust.hk/teaching-resources/action-research

• Borja, Rhea R. (2005). ‘Blogs’ catching on as tool for instruction: teachers use interactive web pages to hone writing skills. Education Week, 25(15). Retrieved from ERIC database.

• Brunner, D. (2006). The potential of the hybrid course vis-a-vis online and traditional courses. Teaching Theology & Religion, 9(4), 229-235. Retrieved from ERIC database.

• Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Chapter 14 Action Research. In Research methods in education. London: Routledge Falmer.

• Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012). Part VI. Action Research. In Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications (pp. 506-529). Boston: Pearson.

• Kim, K., & Bonk, C. (2006). The future of online teaching and learning in higher education: the survey says…. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 29(4), 22-30. Retrieved from ERIC database.

• Manzo, K. (2008). More students master "basics" on writing NAEP. Education Week, 27(32). Retrieved from ERIC database.

Matheos, K. (2011). Innovative Practices Research Project COHERE Report on Blended Learning (Rep.). Retrieved from http://cohere.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/REPORT-ON-BLENDED-LEARNING-FINAL1.pdfMertler, C. A. (2013). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators. [S.l.]: Sage Publications.Mills, G. E. (2011). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. Boston: Pearson.Osguthorpe, R., & Graham, C. (2003). Blended learning environments: definitions and directions. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 4(3), 227-33. Retrieved from ERIC database.Provincial Exams - Curriculum and Assessment - Province of B.C. (n.d.). Provincial Exams - Curriculum and Assessment - Province of B.C. Retrieved from http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=13992E4EC93F4F36B5478D37D441D626Ramaswami, R. (2008). The prose of blogging (and a few cons, too). T.H.E. Journal, 35(11), 21-25. Retrieved from ERIC database.Read, Sylvia (2006). Tapping into students’ motivation: lessons from young adolescents’ blogs. Voices from the Middle. Volume 14, Number 2. Retrieved from ERIC database.Smith, C. (2008). Technologies for transcending a focus on error: blogs and democratic aspirations in first-year composition. Journal of Basic Writing (CUNY), 27(1), 35-60. Retrieved from ERIC database.Vardi, I. (2012). The impact of iterative writing and feedback on the characteristics of tertiary students' written texts. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(2), 167-179.Waddoups, G., Hatch, G., & Butterworth, S. (2003). Case 5: blended teaching and learning in a first-year composition course. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 4(3), 271-78. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Wiliam, D. (2010), "The role of formative assessment in effective learning environments" in The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, OECD Publishing. Williams, Jeremy B. and Jacobs, Joanne (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Education. 20(2), 232-247. Retrieved from ERIC database.Wingate, U. (2010). The impact of formative feedback on the development of academic writing. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 35(5), 519-33.