Learning Coach: 2012 Top Trends
In her article titled “Learning Technology Trends in 2012,” Connie Malamed shares her insightful predictions on trends to watch out for in 2012. The full list is available by clicking on the link provided above. For the purpose of this discussion, I will focus on the idea of backchannels and flipped learning.
Backchannel is the term used to describe online communication that may occur while one is attending a presentation or lecture of some sort. In this scenario, participants share their thoughts online via platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. This mass collaboration allows for virtual guests to join in on the conversation and broaden everyones shared knowledge on the topic at hand. The ultimate intent being that the conversation continues beyond the confines of the classroom walls. This phenomenon seems to be growing at a rapid pace. Rewind to five years ago, and I remember the discouraging looks that one would receive if they even dare pull out their phone during a presentation. Fast-forward to today and it is common practice to see many participants tweeting the information that is being presented. Furthermore, presenters have embraced this technology and usually display and take questions from live twitter feeds. This is an area that I feel will trickle into classrooms as more districts are adopting the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative. From a cost standpoint, this trend is highly effective as registration with such sites is free.
Flipped Learning is a concept in which the classroom is essentially flipped in that the primary instruction occurs at home via videos and class time is available for project and group work. In theory, this sounds like a great idea but it has its limitations. Although there are instructional videos available such as Khan Academy and various others, it can be a daunting task to sift through and select the ones that relate to your curriculum. I also think that this style of instruction would be limited to secondary students. Furthermore, I could see parents opposing to this style of instruction and dismiss it as “teachers not doing their jobs.” I do believe it could be effective if the teacher records their own lectures and posted them to their own YouTube channel. In this case, the material delivered would be specific to the needs of the students and it would be difficult for parents to oppose.
Thanks,
Manny Loyla
Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Doug Connery 1:14 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny:
I like your approach to focus on two technologies. I work in a post secondary and have seen both of these used.
The Back channel was in a demonstration situation in one of our new “technology rooms”. I signed up for the session last May not knowing what is was and I was going light that day so I did not have any personnel technology with me. Needless to say I was not an active participant, just an observer. They did tie in participants from other parts of the institute so it went beyond the classroom. I certainly found it hard to keep up and focus as there was so much going on: the facilitator speaking, their presentation on one set of screens, the twitter back channel on other screens and the F-2-F back channel at each table. In the end, I can’t remember what the topic was, only the apparent confusion of everything going on at once. All I could think of was the student who did not have the technology/twitter account and any special needs students that find it hard to focus, it would have blown their circuits. So this technology/method is in its infancy and participants/facilitators need some training, guidelines and best practices are needed to direct it so it is actually useful and not some neat thing to play with.
Flipped learning is a great method that is being used and is possible through courses developed for blended learning. It also provides a way for instructors to get away from the traditional lecture style classroom format to a style that is more engaging and interactive project and group work. In post secondary we are finding it is many students who oppose this style as it means they need to actually do something in the classroom rather than come for a lecture. For the most part we have been able to check the students helicopter parents at the hanger before entering the school.
Doug.
supatel 4:15 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I agree. The idea of flipped learning is making significant leeway within educational settings. With the shift to project/inquiry based learning, educators are opting to front-load the material/content online via tutorials/videos and having students engage in work in the classroom. I have tried this myself on a few occassions, and allowed me to focus on those who need the extra help while allowing those who feel comfortable move on.
S
Lisa Nevoral 5:06 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I have heard about flipped learning from a few teachers at another school in my district. One of the courses was Math 12 and the other Biology 12. They taught in this style last year, but I don’t know if they are continuing to try it or how beneficial it was in their classes. A few of us in my department were thinking of trying it for the Space Unit in Gr. 9 Science. We have the students do a large space project, so we thought this would be a good idea to try.
supatel 11:27 am on September 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Lisa,
It definitely exciting to try something new with a class and more importantly learn from it. Have you had the opportunity to talk to the grade 12 math and biology instructors to see if the experience was fruitful. I would be interested to know how it went and what were some things that needed to be improved in order to make it more productive.
Suhayl
Lisa Nevoral 8:27 pm on September 17, 2012 Permalink
Hi Suhayl,
I sent them an email a couple of weeks ago, but with the start up of school, they were probably too busy to answer. If I hear anything back, I will report back on what I found out.
Lisa
Mike Rae 10:33 pm on September 16, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’d be interested in hearing how a flipped classroom experiment goes. Reading about it, I can see how it makes a lot of sense. The problem I saw with it is that students tend to be lazy, and the ‘homework’ of watching a lecture the day of, might be ignored by a lot of students. It requires a lot of trust of the kids to do those things. Also, lots of times in lectures and presentations, questions arise as you go, and there are cool tangents that you can take as the teacher to facilitate discussion and more questioning and clarifying. I think there would have to be some sort of question period at the beginning of the next day – perhaps that could be a homework check, to improve the accountability of the class.
Shaun Pepper 8:22 am on September 17, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I have experimented with the Idea of the flipped classroom. I think it is important to enforce the watching of videos like you would a homework check. If students start to look at it as a ‘serious’ assignment not just fun, they tend to gain good insight. In my classroom, I usually get them to write 1 thing they found interesting about the video and 1 thing they found confusing. You can use polling software and reference the video the next day in class while clearing up any misunderstandings.
This flipped technique can be effective. However, I still have found the most effective way is to use the videos in class, pause and explain or clarify as the video is playing. This isn’t traditional, but it is not a flipped classroom either. It allows students to take a resource home (Khan academy, TED Ed) that we have discussed and work on their homework with assistance.