Multimodal and Flipped Classroom Learning

Hey everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine we’ve been having lately! This week in class we discussed using multimodal approaches and created auditory and visual content using screencasting with zoom. In creating these videos, I thought about so many possibilities of using this technology in the classroom. I even used screencasting and video editing to record a video for one of my students’ math problems, and it worked great. This made me curious about screencasting with software that is specifically for this case, such as OBS.

Multimedia learning evolved a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. I reflect on my own experience completing university courses online through this time, and it was difficult. The main takeaway from that experience is this: tech tools can NOT replace in-class learning. It was so tough to sit through an organic chemistry lecture on zoom in my childhood bedroom while the professor stumbled any time he had to copy and paste a compound onto the screen. But I look back at this class and think, this poor man is doing something he is so uncomfortable doing, as he navigates tools he just learned how to use. He was great in-person, but the man did not know how to use a computer to save his life. We all tried our best, and I would not have passed organic chemistry if it were a closed book exam. A win is a win! So, the moral of the story is that tech tools can be great if you know how to use them, and if they make your instruction more efficient and enriched. Some subjects, like organic chemistry, are more suited to drawing stuff on the board in front of your students.

Flipped learning is an interesting idea to think about in the context of my teaching. From my experience, this might be a difficult sell for students. A lot of BC educators now are saying that giving homework to students in grades 9 and 10 in high school is not always the best way to teach for a lot of reasons. Firstly, younger students don’t always feel the pressure to do well in school because they do not have the pressure of post-secondary looming over them. Also, with the content generally being easier, a lot more students are able to understand the content without having to do homework. And if it is not for marks, students will not prioritize it. Also, homework disproportionately helps privileged kids who have at-home resources, i.e., parents who can help, access to a computer, free time, a peaceful and quiet home life, etc. However, it leaves behind the kids who cannot work at home. So, to expect those students who struggle with homework to navigate an entire lesson would be a challenge. Instead of giving homework, teachers are working to increasingly give time for students to work on material at school, and differentiating their instruction so that all students are growing. However, I do see value in this system for a grade 11 or 12 class. For terminology heavy classes such as biology (my subject area), it might be interesting to experiment with a flipped classroom, where students are freely exploring some content out of school, so they come to class familiar with some of the terms already. It might also be interesting to experiment with a flipped classroom only for specific activities, such as labs. Students could complete pre-labs, showing that they are coming to lab with the knowledge required, and awareness surrounding any hazardous materials. For students who could not complete it at home, there would have to be some afterschool homework support programs as an alternative, so that students aren’t left without the resources they need to engage in the learning.

Let me know if you think flipped classrooms would work for your teaching context!

Cheers,

Rylie