How can you implement flipped classrooms on a tight budget?

1 What is a flipped classroom?

A flipped classroom is a teaching method that reverses the traditional order of instruction. Instead of lecturing in class and assigning homework, you provide students with pre-recorded videos, podcasts, readings, or other materials to study at their own pace before class. Then, you use the class time for interactive activities, discussions, projects, or problem-solving that reinforce and apply the concepts. This way, you can personalize the learning experience, foster collaboration, and address individual needs and questions.

3 How to choose flipped content

Another challenge of flipping your classroom is choosing the content that students will study before class. You might be tempted to cover too much material or provide too many resources, which can overwhelm or confuse your students. To avoid this, you need to be selective and strategic about what content you flip and what content you teach in class. A good rule of thumb is to flip the content that is more factual, foundational, or procedural, and teach the content that is more conceptual, analytical, or creative. You can also use the Bloom's taxonomy to guide your decision. For example, you can flip the content that relates to the lower levels of the taxonomy, such as remembering, understanding, or applying, and teach the content that relates to the higher levels of the taxonomy, such as analyzing, evaluating, or creating.

4 How to prepare students for flipped learning

A successful flipped classroom depends on how well your students prepare for the class by studying the flipped content. However, not all students may be familiar or comfortable with this approach, and some may not see the value or benefit of it. Therefore, you need to prepare your students for flipped learning by explaining the rationale, expectations, and goals of flipping your classroom. You also need to provide clear and specific instructions on how to access, use, and interact with the flipped content. For example, you can create a syllabus or a guide that outlines the topics, objectives, resources, and activities of each flipped lesson. You can also use online tools like Google Forms, Padlet, or Flipgrid to check students' understanding, collect feedback, or generate questions before class.

5 How to design flipped activities

The most important part of flipping your classroom is designing the activities that you will do in class with your students. These activities should be aligned with the flipped content and the learning outcomes, and should be engaging, collaborative, and meaningful. You don't need to spend a lot of money or time to create these activities. You can use simple and inexpensive materials like paper, pens, sticky notes, or cards to facilitate discussions, debates, games, or simulations. You can also use free or low-cost online tools like Kahoot, Quizlet, or Nearpod to create interactive quizzes, polls, or presentations. The key is to use the activities to deepen students' understanding, apply their knowledge, and assess their learning.

6 How to evaluate flipped learning

The final step of flipping your classroom is evaluating the effectiveness of your flipped learning. You need to measure not only the students' achievement, but also their engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. You can use various methods and tools to evaluate flipped learning, such as tests, rubrics, portfolios, or surveys. You can also use data and analytics from the platforms or apps that you use to create or host your flipped content or activities. For example, you can use YouTube analytics to track how many views, likes, comments, or shares your videos have. You can also use Edpuzzle analytics to see how much time, effort, or accuracy your students spend, show, or achieve on your flipped videos or quizzes. By evaluating flipped learning, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your flipped classroom, and make adjustments or improvements accordingly.