Les Cahiers du Louvain Learning Lab N° 1 bis 2020 - Grand Format

Initially, the flipped classroom was described as "lectures at home and homework in class" : technology was used to transfer the mainly theory-based part of a course out of the classroom to free up more time during the lesson to focus on applications, problems, case studies or projects. However, the concept was very quickly broadened by extending the range of non-classroom activities. Should we just expect students to passively watch videos suggested by the teacher ? Or should be we asking them, individually or in groups, to prepare part of the course for the other students before class ? Of course, we want a method that is coherent, particularly in terms of time and space ; it requires an important adjustment of the knowledge and skills targeted, the resources allocated to out-of-class activities and the learning activities and interactions inside and outside the classroom.
But how do you create the teaching aids and design the pre-class preparatory activities ? How can you make the space/time encounter between students and with the teacher more active and meaningful ? How can you use the flipped classroom concept to really add value in terms of quality of learning and sustainable skills ? Lastly, how do you assess how the students are using these skills ? This short guide aims to answer some of the questions you may have about the flipped classroom and help you embrace the truly ground-breaking opportunities of this teaching method of the future.