Week 2 - CRJ

CRJ – Week 2 – What have I learnt

By reading Rabeea’s view on a flipped classroom model, it made it apparent how a flipped classroom can support a scaffolded student-centred approach to teaching. Leaving time in the classroom for role playing activities. This relatable approach could leave my workshop time free for hand skill, making time, aligning with constructive alignment principles (Biggs and Tang 2011: 52). Rabeea also made it clear how this flipped classroom would benefit students with dyslexia as it is self-paced engagement and allows students to revisit materials (Moon, 2005). I can personally relate to this, as someone with dyslexia, and have experienced this through my learning on this PGCHE course. Rabeea also references scholarship from (Salmon, 2003), stating that social classroom time allows for students to deepen their understanding through peer discussions. Can I bring in further classroom discussion by flipping my classroom setting? I found it very useful to hear about what her constraints of the model is, identifying uneven pre-session preparation which she says that she has addressed by embedding reflective questions (Gibbs, 1988) into pre-work.

Clare’s view of on the flipped classroom model bought up a good point about how she has experienced from speaking with her family member who is a lecturer in nursing at Brunell University. They experience that pre-lesson recordings or information is not normally read or watched. I have personally experienced this with my personal online lessons, but I choose to still submit the information to the students. I wonder if this is because previously I have offered reading to do. Would this still happen if I offered videos to watch? Or other means of relating information? The reason that I have decided to continue to give the students the option to pre-read information, is to give students confidence in what is to come. My students generally find out about my teaching through social media, or through my website. At the end of the day, they do not know me, I am not part of an institution, and I am a stranger to them. I feel that by giving students information before the day of the course, in a structured and organised way, it brings confidence and assurance that what they have signed up for is going to be good. If no information is given, they arrive on zoom on the day having no idea what they will receive. This adds value to the students learning and allows them to see the end goal if they take in the information in the lesson. Biggs, J.; et al. (2022) writes about the importance of role models for students to aspire to, to motivate to potentially acquire deep learning outcomes.

Clare also points out scholarship from Stein and Graham (2020), addressing how blended learning works well with our modern lives. It can be so adaptable, as an example, reducing the amount of time being ‘on site’, making it cost effective and efficient. This is evident on my intensive colouring clays workshop, in which I give students all the information they need prior to the class, asynchronously, teach the workshop online intensively in a group setting, then follow up with questions and the recorded lesson for later student reference and asynchronous learning. This means that the time I spend teaching is small, yet the students feel that they are getting a lot of valuable information.

By listening to the ‘practitioners in action’ section of this week’s learning, I feel that it has really deepened by knowledge on a flipped classroom, allowing me to appreciate how I will bring it into my practice and ensue that it is integrated and effective. Particularly, listening to maths teacher: Katie Gimar, who spoke about the effect of a flipped classroom on high achievers, low achievers, and mid achieving students. She also highlighted the benefit of how a flipped classroom can open more time in the classroom to spend with all students, ensuring that a student-centred approach is taken and that no student is left behind or left out. I have found time a constraint in my creative workshops, so feel this is something I can bring into my practice. 

I further appreciated how a social element can be bought to a flipped classroom, enabling students that do not do the required pre-work. By working together to potentially catch up, and learn from each other in engaging lessons. I feel that this can be bought into my practice, especially if students are required to create practical artifacts for the first time, or use new machinery which they are unfamiliar with. As Aaron Sams describes it, by allowing students to work together and interact unaided, it allows students to take control of their own learning and take ownership.

Andy’s talk within week 2’s videos really bought home to me how important it is to ensure that the flipped classroom is completely integrated and related to the classroom work, the assessment, and the module. This is important over the quality of the resource because what is the point of the resource if students do not watch it or take value in its place within their overall learning?

I have really enjoyed this week’s learning tasks, particularly re-thinking our micro-teach lessons previously recorded in term 1. I firstly felt value in this task, seeing how I could reflect further on something which I felt I have deliberated about thoroughly already. I think this showed how much I have learnt so far on this course. Whether it is through scholarship, or through my peer interaction, or just through practicing writing and framing what I want to say. I also found it refreshing, being able to take in information through different media. The videos were very helpful, and I felt that I have stalled when it has come to the reading. I feel I have a head start this week, so will break the reading tasks down across the week, adding in new scholarship and reviewing my writing after Wednesday’s webinar.

Reading this weeks scholarship bought up quite a few case studies in which synchronous and asynchronous learning took place. I felt confident that I could adapt these case studies to fit into my practice. It has certainly helped me to better understand and feel more confident using blended learning pedagogy within my teaching.

One point that I had not considered is that the effect of online asynchronous learning. It creates a huge amount of data. How do you mark this? Gauge or track this? Interaction or performance? It would be interesting to ask this question to Andy or Bianca in regards to this course.

As an active participant, (within the one third of the class) and from reading ‘Chapter 3: Devising blended e-learning activities’ from Littlejohn & Pegler (2006) it was refreshing to hear that it is more likely to do well if engaged in active asynchronous and synchronous learning. Also, that the concept of the ‘lurker’ is common. I know I found this frustrating when I started the course and reached our to Dario to express my concerns and discontent.

To conclude this weeks CRJ, and after listening to this week’s webinar, I am unsure what to propose for my recorded flipped classroom for our assessment. To start with I had decided to rr-record, and flip my micro teach session from Assessment 1. This is what I have written about in this weeks proposal and initially planned to do, however on reflection I am now unsure. Although potentially more work, should I decide to flip my colouring clays course, which I will be carrying out live anyway? By adding a flipped classroom aspect, this would add value to my live personal teaching and allow me to develop this course for future lessons. I already know that time management is an issue with this class, so this could alleviate this problem for future lessons and add value. I am already planning on teaching another class over the next month, so I could use this for my assessment easily without having to plan an extra, unpaid lesson, with friends. I will give myself a couple of days to decide and will decide by Monday.

I’m currently thinking the flipped element could be a video and powerpoint talking about the difference between oxides and stains, speaking about % differences and allowing students to plan which materials they will need for the live lesson. A little quiz could allow them to show that they have understood the pre-learning material, made a decision before the day what they will need, and allow me to plan for the day, giving me a greater understanding of the student cohort. The results of the quiz would make me see that they have done the pre -learning too. We could discuss in session what each other are using, deepening their learning, and allowing time to discuss together if students have not carried out the task.

References

Biggs, John and TANG, Catherine. 2011. Teaching for Quality Learning at University. 4th edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Biggs, J., Tang, C., & Kennedy, G. (2022). Teaching for quality learning at university (5th ed.). McGraw Hill.

Gimbar, K. https://youtu.be/cyDpsJ5nS74 accessed 02.06.2025

Moon, Jennifer. 2005. Learning Through Reflection. York: HEA.

Peisley, A. 10 top tips for an effective Flipped Classroom. 03.02.2023. https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/1334/pages/week-2-videos-practitioners-in-action?module_item_id=85508 Accessed 02.06.2025

Rabeea Rizwan, 01.06.2025

https://learn.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/1334/discussion_topics/30032?module_item_id=85506

Salmon, Gilly. 2003. E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.

Sams, A. Flipped Classroom: The Next Step  https://youtu.be/RSKjMsgXc_Q  pitsburg, accessed 02/06/2025

Stein and Graham. (2020). Essentials for Blended learning, 2nd ed, Routledge, Oxon.

Littlejohn, A., & Pegler, C. (2006). ‘Chapter 3: Devising blended e-learning activities’, in Preparing for Blended E-Learning: Understanding Blended and Online Learning. London: Routledge. Pp 49 - 69