Entry #3: Flipped Classrooms & Feedback
(SO. Obviously I’m not good at this blogging feature, because I never posted this entry last last week. I only saved it as a draft………)
I had heard of flipped classrooms before, but I never actually conducted a class in this way. I think it does have benefits, because oftentimes students don’t get enough support on the application of class concepts. If, then, students were able to do the learning at home/on their own, and then bring their questions and apply what they learned in class, under the guidance of a teacher, they would get the support they need. That being said, it really does depend on the class content… and the class size… and the motivation of the student… and the ability of the instructor to plan all of this out.
Class content - Maybe some content is just too abstract for students to learn by themselves, and without the right instruction or scaffolding, maybe it can’t be learned on their own?
Class size - I can easily see small (max 50-60??) classes benefiting from flipped classrooms moreso than large lectures. Even in large lectures, there are going to be people that the professor won’t get to reach every time… So then they might not have much professor time ever…
Student motivation - I think this is a given… A lot of times we can’t even get students to do homework or readings… so how can we have students LEARNING things on their own. (I guess if the learning part is VERY concrete and made fun (videos?) then that would be helpful. And then…
Instructor’s planning - everything really needs to be thought out in order to put something so “flipped” into play. But actually, instructors should be planning nonetheless. So, other than having to change things up and work with a structure they’re not used to, the things required to teach and prepare should be relatively similar….
Maybe it can work!
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I tried the Gauchospace Feedback form! For my midterm feedback, I did it on GS instead of Google Forms this time… It was cool because I also played with the Restriction function, and learned how to make it so that only my sections (and not the other two TA’s sections) could see/access it. Since this wasn’t an elaborate feedback form, I just made 5 short response questions. The data is easy to see too, and I made it so that you can sort it by section. Because of the ease of accessibility (everyone can get on the GS), I will likely use it again in the future! I will say it’s not beautiful… but we can’t have everything…
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This quarter, I’ve been using Google Docs more for my sections. Each of my sections has their own google doc since we had to make groups and share contact information. I’m getting really used to this in-class google doc stuff. But for midterm review, I decided to NOT use technology. I had students working on a jigsaw activity (expert groups and teaching groups). I printed out 82023572 pieces of paper.. and then I did the activity. In one of my sections, a girl asked why we didn’t just do it on Google docs…….. So like. I KNOW that I could’ve, and I also would have saved a tree and a half or so… But I think that technology use has to be carefully and properly selected. For instance, if the whole class had access to this document, and we’re sharing information, how would that motivation another person to also be typing/writing in the information? Additionally, for this OPEN BOOK/NOTE midterm, students are NOT allowed to use screens, but can use any paper notes… so I’m helping them out there too.. But the biggest factor for my choice is really to get each student to write, and I’m pretty sure that that would not have happened if there was a shared google doc for this activity. So… Nice try!
HUAY