2014-AMATYC S037 – Flipping the Classroom: Beginners to Advanced

Sophia Georgiakaki, Tompkins Cortland Community College, NY

Why Flip?

  3 credits à not enough time to cover content

  Success rates 42% or lower

  Students claim to understand lecture in class but cannot figure out problems at home

What I Needed

  Increase lecture time (learning time)

  Increase practice time

  Supervise problem solving

  Increase success rates

What Is Needed to Flip

  Access to course material outside of class

  Incentives for students

Two Kinds of Audiences

  090/095 Pre-Algebra/Beginning Algebra

LAB HOUR; HAVE SEEN THE CONTENT BEFORE; DO NOT GO ONLINE VOLUNTARILY; LOW RETENTION

  100/132/181/200/202

MATERIAL FOR THE FRIST TIME; GO ONLINE OFTEN; HIGH RETENTION

Beginner’s Flip

  Pre-lecture Exercises (examples provided)

  Pre-lecture Notes (examples provided)

  Complete Lecture Notes (examples provided)

  Readings (examples provided in presentation)

  Writing/Journal Entries (examples provided)

Advanced Flip

  Videos of Problem Solving (examples provided)

  Flip-books (examples provided in presentation)

  Web-comics (examples provided)

  YouTube Channel (examples provided)

  MyOpenMath (examples provided)

Pre-Lecture Exercises

·  Pre-Algebra Examples

·  Beginning / Pre- Algebra Examples

·  Intermediate Algebra Examples

·  College Algebra Examples

·  Precalculus Examples

Pre-Lecture Notes (examples provided)

  Provide “Incomplete Notes”

  Students review them before they come in

  We complete them together in class

  More time for actual problem solving and apps

  Organized and correctly laid out

Complete Lecture Notes

  Instructor fills-in pre-lecture notes

  Scan to PDF

  Publish on Bb

  Easy review (instructors/students)

  Available to those who miss class

Readings

  Algebra/Discrete/Statistics

  Read key parts of next section

  Answer basic questions (optional) or fill in parts of incomplete notes

  Solve “easiest” exercises

  Pre-Algebra (examples provided)

  Readings across sections

  Each chapter has 4 – 6 readings

  Instructors choose one for grade and one for xcredit

  Some Per-Algebra topics, some advanced topics

Readings in Pre-Algebra

  Students’ reading level

  Answers provided in the book (should we or should we not?)

  Must start in class

  Ideally, finish in class

  Model proper reading

  Pick “best fit” activity

Writing/Journal Entries

  Guided reading notes (pre-lecture)

  Critical thinking questions (post-lecture)

  In-depth thinking of material

  Topics for in-class discussion

  Pre-Algebra

  Part of every homework

  Guided entries – short & targeted

  Emphasis on vocabulary and terminology

·  May be assigned before or after topics are covered

·  How can Journal Entries flip?

·  Guided entries related to future/repeating topics

·  Journals as reflections to readings

·  Critical thinking questions related to two or more topics

Do These Work?

  They require reading and writing

  Reading skills?

  Math skills?

  Organizational skills?

  Writing skills?

  Attention span?

  Brain processes?

Multimedia Vs. Print

  Which is a better messenger?

  How available is each one?

  How much of each?

  Should reading be eliminated altogether?

  Will students do the work?

  What is the audience?

Multimedia & Flip

  Responsibility on students

  Commitment

  Meeting time not productive if “homework” has not been done

  Interactive activities must be included

First Videos: Podcasts

  Podcasts of problem solving only

  Free Software (JING) – 5 min max

  Fast, short, “better”

  View as many times as needed

  Stop/resume/rewind

  My students were listening to my teaching

Podcasts: Did They Work?

  For some only

  Notes and videos paired up BUT

  Multimedia / text were separate

  Reading the notes?

  Viewing the videos?

  Linking the video to the appropriate notes?

Podcasts: What’s Missing

  Videos for all 50 hwk problems

  Organizational skills (which video for #29?)

  Note taking while watching

  If absent, ability (and willingness) to search

  Material was NOT GROUPED

Flip-books: All in One

  WHAT IS ALL: text, video, interactive, feedback

  Short and right to the point

  Had to invest in commercial software

  FREE to students

Flip-books: Drawbacks

  Not all students viewed flip-books

  Several unable to keep track of course schedule

  Internet needed to view

  Most homework still on paper

  Those who left it for last minute were overwhelmed

Webcomics

  Commercial software (cheaper)

  Student alterations allowed

- Fill blanks/balloons, create story & videos

  More appealing/fun final product

  Easy to use

  Have text, notes, audio, video, hyperlinks

Webcomics: Yes?

  More fun & easy to learn

  Hyperlinks / Video / Audio / Reuse Videos

  Book form

Webcomis: No?

  Fun math stories are challenging!

  Story made comics lengthy

  Illustration made them lengthier

  Grade assigned was necessary

  Okay for Early Childhood students

YouTube Channel

  Pre-lecture: View videos; Take notes / answer questions; Bring to class for grade

  Post-lecture: Ask me a question; Ask for clarification; Ask about specific hwk problem

  Most links are private

  Most links correspond to specific, in-class activities or homework problems

  Assist asynchronously and over the weekend

  Instructor must be connected during off-hours

  Create a channel : register in YouTube (email)

  Creating videos is super easy

◦  Phone / Webcam / Screenshots

  Make your videos short

  Uploading to YouTube is very easy

  Decide how wide of an audience you want

  Decide how to market your videos

  Students will watch if they have a reason to

MyOpenMath (MOM)

  OER - Part of Kaleidoscope Project 2011

  Used in my sections starting in Spring 2012

  Used in ALL Intermediate Algebra sections at TC3 starting in Spring 2014

  Video tutorials with workbook

  Algorithmically generated practice problems immediately following tutorial

  Algorithmically generated hwk problems

  Automated Gradebook

  We supplement with Incomplete notes, Complete notes, Customized courses per instructor, YouTube Channel, Library support, Customized homework problems, Practice tests / Review assignments

  100% flipped (hybrid and online sections)

  Videos (mandatory and graded)

  Complete practice problems

  Fill out notes and bring to class

  Complete homework in class

  Come to class with questions

  Partially flipped (fastrack & majority of sections)

- View certain videos ahead of time

- Fill-out part of incomplete notes or workbook

- Complete rest of notes in class

- Start homework in class

- Bring homework questions to class

·  No need to re-invent the wheel (videos available)

·  Ability to add videos & exercises

·  Keep content organized & in the order you want

·  Customize to instruction style

Success Rates (more data provided in presentation)

  Spring 2014

◦  Customized MOM to all sections

◦  Overall Success: 53%

◦  Avg Past Springs Success: 42%

  Summer 2014

◦  Customized MOM to all sections

◦  Success: 67%

Why do I Flip?

  I need less time to “lecture”

  I have more time to demonstrate practice problems

  I can supervise problem solving

  I have better success rates

Do You Want to See?

  Go to www.myopenmath.com

  Register for my practice course:

◦  Course ID: 466

◦  Enrollment Key: welcome

  Look around and play

Do You Want More?

  Go to www.myopenmath.com

  Request instructor account

  Email me with questions: