Flipped, or Flopped?
Everywhere we turn, if educators are not talking about MOOCs, they seem to be talking about flipping the classroom. In a flipped classroom, students watch their lectures outside the classroom and spend class time working on homework and problem solving. The underlying concept is that the students can do the least engaging part (i.e., sitting through lecture) on their own when they are mentally alert and ready and then do the most engaging part (problem solving and group work) when they can be aided by an expert (the instructor) during scheduled class time. Learn about two different institutions’ approaches to flipped courses and designing learning spaces that enhance collaboration and engagement. Casper College will share data from one course, on dynamics, which was taught in two different sections: one traditional and one flipped. Montana State University will share lessons learned from both faculty and students in rolling out technology-enhanced active learning (TEAL) classrooms in January 2013 to increase student collaboration and engagement. The panelists will share how student grades, attitudes, and learning outcomes were affected. The audience is invited to discuss how learning environments may change teaching, scheduling, assessing, and, most importantly, learning. View the videos ahead of time: http://youtu.be/4kvTKx2TPos
Ritchie Boyd, Montana State University
Paul Marquard, Casper College
Paul Marquard started teaching physics and engineering at Casper College fresh out of graduate school. He taught for over 15 years before losing his mind and going into administration as director of distance education. Fortunately, six years later he returned from the dark side and went back into teaching, continuing that process to this day.
Ritchie Boyd is the academic technology specialist in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Montana State University in Bozeman. His activities in higher education have been focused on developing and supporting instructional technology and e-learning opportunities for faculty and students, in addition to creating professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers and administrators. Among his current interests are emerging technologies, social networking tools, and their impact on education and society.