Instructor Interview: Flipping the Classroom "Changing Everything"

TL;DR

Incorporating MOOC material into a traditional class transformed the teaching dynamic, leading to increased student knowledge and engagement.

Transcript

SHIGERU MIYAGAWA: So I developed the MOOC Visualizing Japan, which is an MITx HarvardX joint project with John Dower of MIT, Annie Gordon of Harvard, and also Gennifer Weisenfeld of Duke. I incorporated the MOOC material into my residential class in 2014, and it changed everything. It changed literally everything. And I continued to use it right up... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎓 Incorporating MOOC material transformed a traditional class into a flipped classroom, resulting in increased student knowledge and engagement.
• 🥺 The flipped classroom approach led to students coming to class with a wealth of knowledge, enabling deeper discussions and exploration of complex questions.
• 🧑‍🎓 The effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach was evident in the increased time students spent participating and discussing compared to traditional lecturing.
• 👋 The flipped classroom approach required good material, particularly video content, to ensure students were adequately prepared before class.
• 💁 By touching the material multiple times through video viewing, discussion, and application, students were able to gain a deeper understanding and retain more information.
• 🧑‍🎓 Lecturing, although missed by faculty, was not as effective as the flipped classroom approach in terms of student learning.
• 🐬 The success of the flipped classroom approach highlights the need for innovative teaching methods to adapt to changing educational landscapes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did incorporating MOOC material into the residential class change the teaching approach?

The integration of MOOC material led to a flipped classroom approach, where lectures were replaced with interactive questioning and discussion. This resulted in increased student knowledge and engagement.

Q: What were the benefits of the flipped classroom approach?

The flipped classroom approach allowed students to come to class with a solid understanding of the material, leading to more in-depth discussions and the ability to explore deeper questions. It also shifted the focus from lecturing to student-centered learning.

Q: How did the flipped classroom approach compare to traditional lecturing in terms of student participation?

In a traditional lecture class, students were less engaged, with the lecturer speaking for 80% of the time. With the flipped classroom approach, the student participation increased to a 50-50 ratio, resulting in a qualitatively different and more effective learning environment.

Q: What role did video content play in the success of the flipped classroom approach?

Video content, combined with reading materials, served as a rich and effective source of knowledge for students. Watching videos before class allowed students to revisit the material multiple times, which enhanced their understanding and engagement.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Shigeru Miyagawa developed the MOOC Visualizing Japan and integrated it into his residential class, resulting in significant changes.

• Students came to class with a wealth of knowledge after watching video lectures, enabling more interactive and discussion-based teaching.

• The flipped classroom approach, where lecturing was replaced with questioning and discussion, fundamentally transformed Miyagawa's teaching.