An example of a video lecture

Here is an example of one of my lecture videos.

It demonstrates some of the features I use to try to make the video more interactive:

1. I pose a question, encouraging students to recall information (0:12 in the video), synthesize or brainstorm. Sometimes I answer this in the video, other times I will discuss further in class.
2. I provide live links to other videos in the class where those topics relate to the present (examples at 0:20 and 2:00)
3. A review slide at the end with links to automatically rewind to that topic in the video (8:27)

My impressions on flipping

I feel much more relaxed in class compared to traditional lectures. I have no problem filling the time, as I had feared, but I don’t feel as rushed. The real-time feedback is one major benefit from my perspective. I have the opportunity to guide students and correct them before they complete the activity. Having a small class helps in this, allowing me to spend more time with each group. But even in a large class where I don’t have time to visit each group, I can at least see who is struggling and offer focused feedback

Since this replaces work that would normally be done outside class, this is a huge difference compared to post-assessment. Students that might be discouraged in getting the wrong answer are instead guided and hopefully encouraged by success. As an instructor, I get to know students better, building rapport and getting an idea of their thought process. Listening to each other also does a much better job of building a learning community than listening to one person lecture.

I have also observed that many more students are asking questions, taking notes during videos (note taking itself being an important skill) and enjoying class.

As for grades, the class average has increased slightly over what I have seen in the past, though I have a small sample of only three classes to compare. What is most obvious is that significantly fewer students are failing exams (<50% constitutes a fail in the course).

I initially viewed the flipped classroom with some skepticism, but decided it was worth trying. I expected it would be a longer path with smaller gains than what I have encountered. Recording lectures and planning classes was a substantial initial time investment, but I am already reaping the rewards.

In the classroom

So how do I fill the time that I would normally lecture?

I usually begin with an informal review, taking questions from students, and adding my own, based on previous experience and feedback from the online quiz. In some cases I add new material that is not in the videos, usually later in the class because I want students to have an opportunity to draw their own conclusions first. This is also an incentive to come to class.

In many class videos, I pose questions that I expect students to complete and discuss in class. These serve as a starting point for further discussion, and serve as a check on the level of participation during video viewing.

The rest of the class is spent working on an activity (or combination) of activities, usually in teams that are set up for the duration of the semester. These include discussions, peer teaching, problem sets and building models. In each case, I circulate around the class offering feedback and guidance in “real-time”.  Sometimes I use the time for other activities like practice exams or a discussion on learning and studying.

 

Instructor’s perspective on the flipped classroom

When I flipped my classroom, I expected the benefits of more interactive class time, the opportunity to go deeper into the material, and students being able to review lectures easily. Two additional unexpected benefits were students taking notes, and asking more questions.

I have always struggled with the balance of providing powerpoint lectures for review, and encouraging students to take notes. Even with incomplete powerpoint slides, very few students would take notes. With videos, I noticed a number of students bringing notes to class, and they were good notes: organized, neat and colour-coded. Students are able to work their way through the material at their own pace, feeling less rushed; they also know that we will use the material in class and they will need notes as a reminder.

I always encourage questions, and almost always get nothing. Questions offer me feedback on my teaching, and I find them valuable for that reason. I now have comprehension quizzes based on the videos, to be answered online before class. I use the aggregate results as a guide to what needs to be reviewed. I began offering students the opportunity to ask their own questions within the quiz, and much to my surprise, I get way more questions this way than I have ever had in class. I also get more questions in class, when students can ask me to review certain ideas at the beginning of each class. In both cases, I realized that students have had time to ‘digest’ the information, vs. having just learned it. The online questions are also ‘anonymous’, in that other students don’t know their identity and they aren’t as worried about ‘dumb questions’. If questions are not answered in class, I email the student with an answer. I want to ensure that questions are valued and encouraged, and students really appreciate this personal touch (this is possible because it is a small class).

Video Lectures

When I decided to try a flipped classroom, I read about various software programs to use. I had never made a video before, so this was all new to me.

I didn’t have funding available to purchase a program, and I knew that videos would have to be made at home, since I don’t have access to a classroom for significant time, or a private office space. Since my lectures were already in powerpoint, I opted for a screencasting program where I would talk over powerpoint slides.

I initially tried EzVid, but found that editing was cumbersome or too limited in the free version (I can’t remember exactly my problem with this). I settled on ActivePresenter, and have made all of my videos in that program.

I opted to break each lecture into smaller videos according to individual topics. This would make it easier to revise at a later date, and be easier for students to watch in portions. Each class therefore has between 2 and 5 videos, each about 10-20 minutes long. Some are longer, and I am working to shorten those for subsequent semesters. I aim for a total viewing time of no more than 1 hour per class. The videos are all on Youtube, as “private” videos, only viewable through a link posted on my class portal.

Each video begins with Learning objectives, has some suggested activities or thought provoking questions that I will bring up in class (my attempts to make the viewing experience a bit more “active”) and a review. The review slide has links to each topic for easy review, and other videos are linked where topics overlap.

I did some work to powerpoint slides, using more animation to make the visuals more “video friendly”. Initially, my speaking was very slow, and I spend alot of time editing out every little “um” and “ah”. I found that very time consuming and resulted in a choppy finished product. With experience, I have become more comfortable, speaking faster and worrying less about making a “perfect” video.

Video example