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Benefits and challenges of the flipped classroom

Benefits of the flipped classroom

Efficient use of class time    

  • Pre-class materials create the opportunity for learning outside of the classroom.
  • In this way, face-to-face classroom time can be used more effectively to activate high-order learning by applying learnt concepts.
  • In the face-to-face classroom, teachers have more time to facilitate learning and interact with students.    

Active learning opportunities

  • Students receive active learning opportunities in a face-to-face classroom.
  • Teachers have the freedom to choose a student-centred teaching approach according to the session’s intended learning outcome.
  • Changing the in-classroom to an active learning environment is the ultimate aim of the flipped classroom.

Increased one-on-one opportunities

  • The flipped classroom minimises passive learning and one-way communication.
  • Therefore, teachers and students have adequate time to interact with each other.
  • The flipped classroom allows teachers to promote attention to task completion on an individual basis. 

Student accountability for learning

  • The flipped classroom is given the ownership of learning to students.
  • Students are responsible for making learning schedules, preparing pre-class activities, and engaging in-class activities.
  • This also enables the students to promote their self-learning.   

Addressing multiple learning styles

  • The flipped classroom is suited for various learning styles.
  • Impended access to the pre-learning material allows students to study in their preferred way, pace, place and time.
  • Besides, in-class activities should be designed to accommodate learners with diverse learning needs.
  • Learning can be facilitated through engaging in problem-solving, reflecting, debating, conducting class experiments, demonstrating, and working with peers.    

Increasing student performance

  • The flipped classroom intervention allows students to assess their performance, clinical competencies, problem-solving skills and therapeutic communication.    

Positive attitudinal changes

  • Research has revealed that positive attitudes occur after being involved in the flipped classroom, namely, this environment promotes motivation, engagement, confidence, self-directedness, enjoyment, and critical thinking.

Challenges of the flipped classroom

Increased workload

  • The teacher role change to a material creator in flipped learning environments; lecture recording, editing, planning student-centred activities consume time and effort.
  • However, material creation could be conceived as adding to the learning process.
  • Students expect to dedicate their time to pre-, in-, post-class activities.

Completing pre-class activities

  • Teachers should find a way to ensure that students have complete pre-class activities.
  • Because completing pre-class learning is essential to optimising the benefit from engaging in in-classroom activities.

Access to technology

  • The flipped classroom may exclude students who don’t have access to technological devices.
  • So, teachers should find an alternative mechanism for overcoming this challenge.
  • For example, if a student does not have access to the internet, pre-class material can be provided through making DVD or USB use accessible.

Initial dissatisfaction

  • Research findings show that students at the introductory period may not welcome flipped classroom.
  • Therefore, teachers should be confident enough to overcome the initial dissatisfaction and make FC more accessible through showing how the benefits outweigh the perceived pitfalls.

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