The Flipped Classroom for College Students: An Evaluation of Research and Trends from Traditional and Online Faculty

Abstract

The researchers of this article offer a diverse perspective in explaining and implementing teaching practices. One is an Associate Professor in the College of Education teaching undergraduate and graduate courses specific to the field of special education in a traditional setting and occasionally teaching online classes as an adjunct. She has been teaching at the university level for over eight years. The other researcher is an Associate Professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences who is a full-time online faculty member teaching undergraduate students. He has been teaching full-time online for over eight years and teaches traditional classes as an adjunct. Both faculty members utilize the same Learning Management System (LMS) to deliver their courses. They have both noticed a shift in how students prefer to learn. Together they pondered how the flipped classroom model can impact both online and traditional students and instructors. As they have implemented the flipped or inverted classroom model, they noticed that their students have experienced a large number of opportunities to collaborate with their peers. They have had the opportunity to collaborate with each other on presentations, projections, essay writing, lesson planning, individualized education plans for students with disabilities, and overall brainstorming of effective teaching strategies. Their students have also experienced the need for working through conflicts in their collaboration, interpretation of different ideas, and organization of information. These are all skills that are required in many careers. They conclude that the flipped classroom has proven to be a positive influence for students and instructors.