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Flip or be Flipped

G. Peter Wilson

Boston College

wilsongp@bc.edu

American Accounting Association

2012 Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Section Breakfast and Business Meeting

August 6, 2012

Slides posted at

www.navigatingaccounting.com/presentation/presentations

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Flip or be FlippedAgenda

Thinking hierarchy

What is a flipped classroom?

Why start moving up the flipping continuum now?

Easier said than done

Working together to perfect the flip

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Flip or be FlippedThinking Hierarchy

The first and lowest level of the hierarchy is the capacity to answer questions where experts agree on the answers.

The second level of the hierarchy is the capacity to answer questions where experts can reasonably disagree on the answers and where arguments are informed to the extent they are grounded in logic, theory, and facts.

The third and highest level of the hierarchy is the capacity to be innovative.

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Flip or be FlippedWhat is meant by flip the classroom?

Wikipedia

Students’ roles

Study topics prior to class, using video lessons created by the instructor or shared by another educator.

During class, apply the knowledge by solving problems and doing practical work.

Faculty’s role

Tutor the student when they become stuck, rather than to impart the initial lesson [through lectures]. …

Origin

Eric Mazur’s Peer Instruction, introduced in the 1990s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_teaching

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Flip or be FlippedWhat is meant by flip the classroom?

"I thought I was a good teacher until I discovered my students were just memorizing information rather than learning to understand the material. ….

It was my teaching that caused students to fail!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI

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Flip or be FlippedWhat is meant by flip the classroom?

Extending concept Students’ roles

Move as far as possible up the thinking hierarchy outside of class, given time constraints and available resources.

Move further up the hierarchy during class by participating in interactive activities that require faculty involvement.

Faculty’s roles

Facilitate interactive discussions, help students locate and utilize resources, and develop class activities and assignments that move students further up the hierarchy.

Develop ways to assess higher level thinking that provide appropriate feedback, motivation, and evaluations.

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Flip or be FlippedWhat is meant by flip the classroom?

Keep learning new flips – the flip continuum

The boundaries of what can and can’t be learned effectively through electronic media without significant faculty-student interaction will continue to evolve with new technologies and learning models.

http://gymnastics.about.com/od/famousgymnasts/ig/Shawn-Johnson-Gallery/Shawn-Johnson-Flip-.htm

http://www.123rf.com/photo_604084_the-boy-jumps-in-water.html

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Flip or be FlippedWhy start moving up the flipping continuum

now?

Human capital based solely on the lowest level of the thinking hierarchy is becoming commoditized.

Low-cost providers ultimately win in commodity markets, often by achieving economies of scale.

Students and faculty who fail to move up the thinking hierarchy risk being flipped out of their jobs.

Students risk having their jobs outsourced to technology or developing countries.

Faculty risk having their jobs outsourced to technology.

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Flip or be FlippedWhy start moving up the flipping continuum

now?Flip or be flipped

To free up time during class to move up the thinking hierarchy and to come prepared for related discussions, students must learn the prerequisite knowledge and skills prior to class.

Thus, for our students to stay competitive by moving up the thinking hierarchy, we and our students must continue moving up the flip continuum.

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Flip or be FlippedMoving up the flip continuum is easier said

than done!

http://bestfunnyaccidents.com/gymnastics-fail-blog-funny-flip-bloopers-gone-wrong-accidents.html

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Flip or be FlippedMoving up the flip continuum is easier said

than done!Identifying challenges

Knowledge and skills assessments

How prepared are we to help students move up the thinking hierarchy?

How prepared are our students to get ready for and participate in related discussions?

Motivation and resource assessments

How motivated are we and our students to assume new responsibilities?

How motivated are others in the education hierarchy to provide the requisite support and resources?

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Flip or be FlippedMoving up the flip continuum is easier said

than done!Biggest challenge – education hierarchy is in a death spiral

Reasonable overarching shared goal

Wrong performance metrics

Wrong performance targets

Wrong priorities

Wrong outcomes

Reinforcing downward spiral

Pressure to lower costs

Pressure to cover expanding list of basic competencies

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Flip or be FlippedWorking together to perfect the flip

We need to refine the goal:

Prepare students to compete globally by helping them learn higher level thinking that leverages our commitment to freedom of thought, diversity, meritocracy, and risk taking.

We need to develop affordable performance measures that faithfully represent progress towards this goal.

http://gymnastics.about.com/od/famousgymnasts/ig/Shawn-Johnson-Gallery/Shawn-Johnson-Flip-.htm

Call to collective action

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Flip or be FlippedWorking together to perfect the flip

We need to sell the education hierarchy on the benefits of pursuing this goal and supporting the development and implementation of effective performance metrics.

We need to learn best practice from master flippers.

http://www.marvacollins.com/biography.html

Marva Collins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI

Eric Mazur

http://uweanimation.blogspot.com/

2011/03/interesting-scientist-richard-

feynman.html

Richard Feynman