FROM FLIPPED, TO FLIPPING OUT, TO MOSTLY SUNNY: HOW THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL MADE THE MOVE TO EMERGENCY REMOTE LEARNING LESS STORMY

Abstract

In spring of 2020, COVID-19 forced traditional residential colleges to quickly move to emergency remote teaching (ERT). Even students and faculty with online and/or hybrid course familiarity likely experienced stress after the move to ERT as the courses were developed to be taught in-person and students expected face-to-face delivery. This study found that not only was some of the student stress related directly to concern about the COVID-19 virus and forced quarantine, but clarity of course expectations emerged as another possible factor. For faculty with in-person courses that had little to no asynchronous component, the move to ERT was likely most difficult as they were forced to completely rethink their pedagogical paradigm in a matter of days. This short timeframe gave faculty little time to adequate prepare and virtually no time to communicate the changes in course delivery to the students. The course in this study was redesigned as a flipped classroom in fall of 2019, with a substantial online asynchronous component, including lecture videos and regular communication via the learning management system (LMS). From a faculty perspective, the pre-developed asynchronous LMS modules made the migration to a fully remote learning environment fairly smooth and less time intensive than a traditional course with no asynchronous presence. Additionally, a vast majority of students perceived that the flipped classroom would make the move to ERT easier and liked the learning environment, even when the course was moved entirely remote. Migrating to a blended learning environment with a strong asynchronous presence, such as a flipped classroom model, is one way to not only enhance in-person course delivery but better prepare for future ERT scenarios.