Flipping a Large Class

Professor of Columbia University Brent Stockwell flipped a large class successfully. The biochemistry class with 180 students was rearranged to create a more productive and enjoyable academic experience.

Professor Satchwell made ​​weekly slide shows and screen recordings that he uploaded to YouTube, embedded in the LMS, and required students to watch. He also created quizzes that were linked to the videos and counted toward the final grade. The audiovisual presentation, videos and assessments certainly did the job of bringing students prepared for class.

During class Stockwell divided the class into groups of five and had activities such as difficult problem solving. He used "Socratic" (a voting enabled service through mobile phones and tablets) to ask questions and receive answers anonymous. The polls gave him freedom to review materials or continue with the next topic.

Although the large lecture hall is not configured for group work, Stockwell was able to capture the attention of students and engage them. By creating a "bank of problems" in collaboration with other teachers of biochemistry, Stockwell is solving the shortage of thought-provoking problems he faced during the first year of the launch of its flipped class.

This successful experience in flipping a large class is a clear example of how to use digital tools to implement a new educational methodology.

Large Lecture Hall Class

Read the article here