Jim,
I just completed my first TBL semester three days ago. You don't know how
helpful your youtube videos were for me. I watched them many times in
preparation for the course. Thanks!
In the Fall of 2012, I tried flipping for the first time. I made concept
maps for each class using a very nice application called Prezi. I then made
videos where I did a voiceover as I went through the concept maps. I also
used Blackboard and required each student to take a Blackboard quiz before
coming to class.
I figured I no longer needed to lecture in class because it was all in the
video. But I lacked a consistent, coherent, systematic plan for exactly how
classroom time would be spent. Sometimes I would form groups, other times
not. Sometimes the groups would be threesomes, other times foursomes. I had
read books on active learning and student engagement, but these books tended
to provide a smorgasboard of classroom activities. I would pick this
activity for one class and that activity for another class, without any good
reason.
Many flippers like to emphasize that flipping is not all about the
technology, the videos students watch outside of class. But the reality is
that the technology is flipping's distinguishing characteristic. And online
videos are not sufficient to create adequate learning outcomes.
So, as Fall 2012 was winding down, I started looking for ways to improve.
That's when I found TBL. Flipping says to use technology to communicate with
students outside of the classroom. TBL says to use structured activities to
enhance learning inside the classroom.
Sorry for that long-winded introduction, but I think it was necessary to
provide context.
Now to your abstract.
Its tone is that flipping is not new because TBL predates flipping by many
years and TBL has the same characteristics as flipping.
I am not sure if that is accurate. Despite persistent denials, I believe, as
I have already stated, that the central tenet of flipping is technology. Yet
I think it is fair to say that most TBLers do NOT create videos for students
to watch outside of class.
My personal history attests to the fact that TBL does have a constructive
role to play for flippers. TBL complements the videos by providing a
framework for organizing classroom activities.
TBL is agnostic about what students do outside of class. Maybe students will
read source documents, maybe they will watch videos, maybe they will write
papers. TBL is not agnostic about what they do in class. There are iRQs,
tRQs, application exercises, permanent teams, appeals, etc.
Flipping is agnostic about what students do inside the class. Maybe the
instructor will meet one-on-one, maybe there will be teams, maybe there will
be individual work. Flipping is not agnostic about what students do outside
class. They will access technology created by the instructor.
So, this is how I would position the abstract. Many educators struggle with
flipping because they lack a well-thought-out plan for integrating classroom
activities with the videos watched outside of class. TBL provides a proven
solution. TBL has a decades-long track record of producing superior learning
outcomes by using systematically structured classroom activities.
I hope that helps.
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