With the increased use of smart devices and electronic learning tools being used in today’s classrooms, a new teaching concept called “Flipped Classrooms” is gaining popularity. This concept takes the classroom lecture and the at home homework components and flips them. Using digital media, video and smart devices the lecture portion of school is done at home leaving more time one-on-one with students in class doing homework.
The concept not only allows students a different way to learn, but also allows the teacher more time to spend with individual students and make sure those students who are struggling get needed attention. It’s efficient for the teacher as well, providing more time to introduce new subjects or other new concepts.
“Once you have an archive of video learning, you can explore things you wouldn’t otherwise have time for,” said Sams, is one of the “founding fathers” of the concept.
The video based learning or animated modules are shorter segments that allow for quick digestion and replaying over and over to help students really understand the content. Sams, who is an educator, consultant and author of several books and articles on the subject, said that the attention spans of students are getting much shorter and holding their attention during a long lecture is getting very difficult. In this model, the full content of lectures are still covered, but the topics are cut down into smaller shorter chuncks. “I might be contributed to shorter attentions spans, or it’s possible that I’m just meeting them where they are at,” said Sams.
Aaron Sams is the President and CEO of Sams Learning Designs, LLC. He has been an educator since 2000 and is currently the Director of Digital Learning at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA.
