Flipped classroom experiment proves popular at P.E.I. school

Students and teachers in two high school classes in Charlottetown are testing out a new concept in education calledthe flipped classroom.

The concept is simple: students learn the classwork or lecture material on their own at home, then do homework on the material together in class.

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"Essentially we try to provide instruction outside of the classroom through technology giving students an opportunity to view videos, to do readings, to interact with their peers outside of the classroom," explained Grade 11 teacher Kent Avery, who is using the flipped classroom model forModern World History at Charlottetown Rural.

Avery's history students are required to interact in an online discussion forum he created using a website called Edmodo.

If every single one of my classes could be flipped, I'd love it.Student Justin Ferguson

"It's a place where they can interact in a social way about the course content," Avery said.

"The hope is that when they come into the classroom after reading or viewing the instruction, they're better able to work in groups collaboratively."

Avery studied the flipped classroom model as part of his education degree at UPEI.

Now, he and Grade 11 biology teacher Carolyn Huggan are part of another research project at the university. They'll do focus groups with their students at the end of the semester, asking for their opinions on the flipped classroom.

'You learn a lot more'

Students like Justin Ferguson, who is taking Grade 11 history, say the flipped classroom model works wonders.

"I don't like the other style as much ... It's really boring if this person is standing there in front of the class and just talking the whole time," he said.

"When you're interconnecting with students and the teacher by talking and watching videos you actually learn a lot more than just sitting there listening to somebody.

"If every single one of my classes could be flipped, I'd love it."

Teachers admit the flipped classroom does put more responsibility on students to do the required work at home.

"I can still tell if they've beendoing their work outside of the class just based on the questions they ask and their level of engagement in group discussion," said Huggan, who is using the flipped classroom for the first time.

But Grade 11 student Chloe Paquet said that might not be so bad.

"I find it gives us more responsibility ... It opens us up to the world where we can't just depend on one person, like our teacher. It makes us grow up," Paquet said.

"You feel more engaged in your work because there is a lot more discussion in the class than there usually is and a lot more hands-on work."

There was some apprehension about the flipped model at fist, Huggan admitted, but she chalked that up to the trials of trying something new.

"The farther we've gotten into the semester, the more they're enjoying the freedom in class to have that opportunity to work with their peers, to ask their questions, to have more of my time getting to their groups and getting their questions answered," she said.

"So I've seen a lot of positives with it."