Flipped Learning . . .

Flipped Learning is moving from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”. For students, the obvious benefit lies in the ability to pause and rewind the teacher at will. For teachers, it means less time creating lectures, and more engaged students as the boring introductions are pushed out, and the fun practical work is pulled in.

Flipped Learning’s 21st Century Skills:

1. Independent Learning

By moving direct instruction outside of the classroom, students are encouraged to engage in metacognitive learning. Here, the students can learn in a setting, and at a pace, that suits their needs, facilitating a personalized experience and promoting independent learning.

2. Critical Thinking

As 21st century learners, critical thinking has never been more of a focal point. Through independent learning, students are encouraged to think critically, thus promoting their curiosity and broadening their knowledge. Critical thinking teaches the obstacles of dependence and the benefits of self-confidence - invaluable lessons that prepare students for an increasingly unpredictable future.

3. Collaboration

We are all aware of the benefits of effective collaboration, and luckily it has never been so easy to facilitate. Through the flipped classroom model, students are urged to collaborate effectively using social media outside school walls, while the classroom itself becomes a proactive hub for positive and productive peer-to-peer instruction.

4. Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is one skill that no 21st century learner can do without. By using technology to view lessons, interact and collaborate on a daily basis, students open themselves up to a world of possibilities through technology. Digital literacy and digital citizenship are embedded in their use of technology as they are encouraged to use their devices as platforms for learning and development, as opposed to social accessories.

5. Digital Citizenship

Facilitating the evolution from ‘digital native’ to ‘digital citizen’ is another focal point for education of the 21st century. Encouraging students to work side by side in a digital environment teaches the basics of respect and cooperation in an online world. Flipped learning brings digital collaboration to the fore, building that mutual understanding that’s rooted in the digital citizen.

6. Creativity

In order for students to become independent learners and thinkers, fostering their curiosity and feeding their creativity is key. Learning outside the classroom, equipped with the tools to unleash their imagination, students are urged to be innovative and inquisitive thought leaders. With innovation and creativity proving to be key drivers of 21st century success, it’s the age of the innovator.

7. Social Skills

Growing up in a culture of social media is not an easy feat, and one that can further hinder a person’s social growth. By converting the classroom into a more active, collaborative workspace you can place the emphasis on forming healthy relationships and building productive teams.

8. Problem-solving

Another essential skill for the 21st century learner, problem-solving is a complex ability too often overlooked as inherent. With a steady routine of collaborative communication and a constant flow of independent learning, a student’s problem-solving skills can evolve hugely and adequately prepare them for the challenges ahead.

While only a brief outline of the many skills embedded within flipped learning, there are several more. The flipped classroom is the ideal model to invest in 21st century skills, and provide students with a one-to-one learning experience, that works around them.

Examples of Collaborative Learning or Group Work Activities

Problem-Based Learning is a collaborative, student-centered approach to learning in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem. 

Stump your partner

• Students take a minute to create a challenging question based on the lecture content up to that point.
• Students pose the question to the person sitting next to them.
• To take this activity a step further, ask students to write down their questions and hand them in. These questions can be used to create tests or exams. They can also be reviewed to gauge student understanding.

Think-pair-share/ Write-pair-share

• The instructor poses a question that demands analysis, evaluation, or synthesis.
• Students take a few minutes to think through an appropriate response.
• Students turn to a partner (or small groups) and share their responses. Take this a step further by asking students to find someone who arrived at an answer different from their own and convince their partner to change their mind.
• Student responses are shared within larger teams or with the entire class during a follow-up discussion.

Catch-up

• Stop at a transition point in your lecture.
• Have students turn to a partner or work in small groups to compare notes and ask clarifying questions.
• After a few minutes, open the floor to a few questions.

Fishbowl debate

• Ask students to sit in groups of three.
• Assign roles. For example, the person on left takes one position on a topic for debate, the person on right takes the opposite position, and the person in the middle takes notes and decides which side is the most convincing and provides an argument for his or her choice.
• Debrief by calling on a few groups to summarize their discussions.

Case study

• Create four to five case studies of similar difficulty.
• Have students work in groups of four or five to work through and analyze their case study.
• Provide 10-15 minutes (or adequate time to work through the cases).
• Walk around and address any questions.
• Call on groups randomly and ask that students share their analysis. Continue until each case study has been addressed.

Team-based learning 

• Start a course unit by giving students some tasks to complete, such as reading or lab assignments. Consider assigning these to be completed before class.
• Check students' comprehension of the material with a quick multiple-choice quiz. Have students submit their answers.
• Assign students to groups and have them review their answers with group members to reach consensus. Have each group submit one answered quiz.
• Record both the individual student assessment scores and the final group assessment score (both of which are used toward each student's course grade).
• Deliver a lecture that specially targets any misconceptions or gaps in knowledge the assessments reveal.
• Give groups a challenging assignment, such as solving a problem or applying a theory to a real world situation.

Group problem solving

There are many instructional strategies that involve students working together to solve a problem, including inquiry based learning, authentic learning, and discovery learning. While they each have their own unique characteristics, they all fundamentally involve:

• Presenting students with a problem.
• Providing some structure or guidance toward solving the problem. Note, however, that they are all student-centered activities in which the instructor may have a very minimal role.
• Reaching a final outcome or solution.

Collaborative Learning: What is it ?

Collaborative learning is based on the view that knowledge is a social construct. 

Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles:

• The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction.
• Interaction and "doing" are of primary importance
• Working in groups is an important mode of learning.
• Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning.

Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger groups. Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students working in pairs or small groups to discuss concepts, or find solutions to problems. This often occurs in a class session after students are introduced to course material through readings or videos before class, and/or through instructor lectures. Similar to the idea that two or three heads are better than one, many instructors have found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions. 

Critical thinking habits and critical thinking skills

1. Analyzing	Separating or breaking a whole into parts to discover their nature, functional and relationships. "I studied it piece by piece" "I sorted things out"
2. Applying Standards	Judging according to established personal, professional, or social rules or criteria. "I judged it according to..."
3. Discriminating	Recognizing differences and similarities among things or situations and distinguishing carefully as to category or rank. "I rank ordered the various..." "I grouped things together"
4. Information Seeking	Searching for evidence, facts, or knowledge by identifying relevant sources and gathering objective, subjective, historical, and current data from those sources "I knew I needed to lookup/study..." "I kept searching for data."
5. Logical Reasoning	Drawing inferences or conclusions that are supported in or justified by evidence "I deduced from the information that..." "My rationale for the conclusion was..."
6. Predicting	Envisioning a plan and its consequences "I envisioned the outcome would be..." "I was prepared for..."
7. Transforming Knowledge	Changing or converting the condition, nature, form, or function of concepts among contexts "I improved on the basics by..." "I wondered if that would fit the situation of ..."

6 Categories of Deeper Learning Skills

Educators across the country are using the deeper learning framework, developed by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, in their classrooms. Through design thinking challenges, project-based learning activities, Genius Hours, and more, teachers can ensure that students are engaged, motivated to persist, and developing key skills.

For example, students in a sixth grade robotics classroom might build controllers for swimming robots. One group experiments with settings to sink the robots by filling a bladder with water. Another works to perfect the speed controls on the motor. Yet another tests the robot design to ensure that it can easily move through the water. Students are engaged and focused as they apply math, engineering, and science knowledge to their work.

These students are engaged in the six categories of Deeper Learning skills described below.

1. Master Academic Content

In addition to building foundation academic skills in reading, math, science, and social studies, teachers use many approaches to support students taking their learning and exploration to the next level. These approaches -- such as rooting projects in real-world problems or mapping facts and concepts to help build on prior knowledge -- enable students to connect ideas and apply knowledge across content areas.

In the aforementioned robotics classroom, students engage deeply with math and physics as they measure and assess the impact of the changes they are making to control their robots' speed, agility, and water displacement.

2. Think Critically and Solve Complex Problems

As students seek to tackle problems, they must be able to analyze those problems, develop solutions, and carry out plans to address them. Teachers integrate these skills into instruction through engaging activities that rely on competencies such as researching, brainstorming, and design thinking.

The robotics students are testing their hypotheses and designing solutions to the unexpected challenges they confront in their robot design.

3. Work Collaboratively

Working collaboratively in school helps students become better team members in the future as they learn to identify strengths, assign responsibilities, and reflect on successes. By planning thoughtful group activities, creating expectations around group work, and encouraging conversations about open-mindedness, teachers support these skills.

In each robotics group, students have created team agreements, identified group leaders, and divided responsibilities equally.

4. Communicate Effectively

Students develop their communication skills throughout their academic careers as writers, presenters, artists, and team members. Teachers strengthen those skills by providing students tools to communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively across all grades and subjects.

After the students have perfected their robots, they will present them to their classmates to explain the adjustments they made to the controllers.

5. Learn How to Learn

In addition to guiding students through instruction, teachers help them become self-directed learners who drive their own exploration. With support from their teachers, students set goals, track their progress, reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement, and can turn setbacks into opportunities for growth.

In robotics class, students identify daily goals for their robot design in their groups, create challenges for their teams, and push their own learning to meet these goals.

6. Develop Academic Mindsets

Beyond learning academic skills, students need to become life-long learners who take initiative, are persistent, and build relationships to access resources. Teachers support these mindsets through activities and discussions that focus on ethical behavior, resilience, and mindfulness.

While not every experiment that the students try with their robots will be successful, they will not rest until they have found the best approach. Once the robots are complete, students will enter them in the Robot Olympics to determine the fastest, most agile, and most creative robots!