FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM: PRACTICAL ASPECTS & POSSIBLE OUTCOMES Philip Hedges

1. FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM: PRACTICAL ASPECTS & POSSIBLE OUTCOMES Philip Hedges University of Westminster 07/09/17

2. Who, What, Where & Why • A flipped learning experience was given to MA HRM students on an economics-based core module in 2016/17 • Students had not been previously exposed to flipped learning on the module & it was used on one part of the syllabus – business ethics – during the 11th week of a 12-week module • AIM 1: To encourage students to engage more with this part of the syllabus using higher-order application & evaluation skills • AIM 2: Nudge students into selecting this part of the syllabus for choice of essay question in the exam • AIM 3: Utilise online learning technology

3. What is Flipped Learning? • The distinctive idea of a flipped classroom is to replace time spent in class typically devoted to information transmission with more time being freed up for deepening understanding by requiring learners to engage in pre-class online learning activities • Time in the classroom is then earmarked for going beyond the basics of a concept or theory towards developing a more nuanced &critical understanding • For the average learner the successful use of flipping the classroom can lead to deep learning

4. Typical “Unflipped” Practice • Textbook chapters & other readings for weekly topics indicated in advance of lecture/seminar face-to-face sessions • Students listen to lecture & are then asked to answer questions during seminar • Information transmission is mostly teacher-led • Students either prepare fully, a little or not at all in advance

5. Flipped Version • Before-class: Students watch Panopto instructor video of PowerPoint slideshow which introduces the flipped concept, business ethics & the utilitarian principle, including 13 short-answer questions • Before-class: Students watch Ford Pinto Dilemma case study video to answer the 13 questions – this video can be streamed from http://businessethicsworkshop.com/case_studies/Ford_Pinto.html • Students then come to class, listen to a shorter lecture & attempt new seminar questions pitched to develop higher-order skills

6. Example from SlideshowDictionary Definition & Origins “Utilitarianism (ethics): the doctrine that right action consists in the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, in maximising the total benefit resulting, without regards to the distribution of benefits and burdens.” The Collins English Dictionary (1990) The utilitarian principle was formalised in England by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and later modified by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) Bentham was a philosopher, legal scholar & social reformer Mill was a philosopher, economist & civil servant

7. Examples of Short-Answer Questions Q1: What was the price of a Ford Pinto in 1970 in US dollars and what would it be “today”? Q2: What was the Pinto’s design problem? Q3: What happens to both vehicles in the crash test when the white car collides with the back of the black Pinto? Q4: How much extra final cost per car would a consumer have to pay for a redesigned Pinto in 1970? Q5: How many redesigned Pintos would be sold eventually? Q6: What would be the total monetary cost of redesigning the Pinto in 1970?

8. New Seminar Questions • Having watched the Ford Pinto Dilemma video and answered the 13 short-answer questions please explain how Ford applied the utilitarian principle to justify its decision not to redesign the Pinto model. • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Ford’s approach to resolving this ethical dilemma. • Mercedes has recently decided to programme their driverless cars to prioritise saving the Mercedes driver given the scenario that the car could instead crash into two pedestrians. Evaluate whether Mercedes has behaved ethically.

9. Practical Aspects • Make sure all your technology is working with the latest software requirements • You need time to plan, create & rehearse any instructor slideshow recordings/videos & to record demos to test your technologies • You need silence to record • Instructor slideshows & videos need to be as short as possible - time yourself talking & speed up! • You don’t have to do all the creative work – look for supporting online materials such as Learning on Screen’s BoB, YouTube & Lynda.com’s video tutorials

10. Practical Aspects • Students may not engage in pre-class activities due to time constraints – flipping works well when learners are committed to full-time study & frequently attending • Some students may face technical issues in using software & streaming • Advantage of recording instructor content is that it is held on the university’s VLE which allows the instructor to monitor statistics on who has viewed, frequency & duration of viewings • Be prepared to repeatedly publicise the flipping process & learning materials based on VLE statistics

11. Practical Aspects • Not everything needs to be flipped – choose topics carefully & invest time in thinking about questions that link the online materials to the learning outcomes • Instructor recordings do not have to be polished & students appreciate a touch of personality • Have a back-up plan for students who come to class without doing the pre-class activities • Be prepared to repeatedly publicise the flipping process & learning materials based on VLE statistics

12. Link Low, Medium & High-Stakes Assessments • Low-stakes engagement motivated by answering 13 short-answer questions individually when watching online case study video testing knowledge & understanding • Medium-stakes engagement motivated by higher-order seminar questions for group discussion • High-stakes engagement motivated by choice of exam essay option (1 from 5 topics)

13. Student Views on Flipping Before Exam Summary of Results from the Flipped Classroom Learner Evaluation Survey Semester 1

14. Effect on Exam Essay Choice Sem 1 • Nearly a half of Semester 1 students chose the ethics essay in the exam

15. Effect on Exam Essay Choice Sem 2 • More than a half of Semester 2 students chose the ethics essay

16. Effect on Essay Performance • In semester 1 the ethics essay mean was for the first time higher than the mean for all essay topics but Sem 2 students achieved an ethics mean of just 90% of the all essays mean

17. Some Student Feedback Before Exam S1 It was refreshing to have a different approach to teaching. Has made the lesson on ethics more memorable. S2 The flipped classroom was a novel and a new style of learning for me. I found it engaging, meaningful, focussed and very crisp. The message was communicated in a clear and concise manner with a view to attention for detail. I enjoyed this style of learning and found it be very positive. S3 As a way to cement learning, in my opinion, this is a very worthwhile method. However, as a part time student in full time employment, I would struggle to devote sufficient time in this way on a regular basis. As understanding and participation during the lecture relies on 'pre-work' where time constraints do not allow for this, especially in the case of part time students, I imagine the method would be limiting.