Flipping Homework and Lecture Using Video Lessons

I have a Math teacher who was looking for a way to get more time in class to individualize with students and reteach concepts to ensure learning was going on. A lightbulb went off in her head and she decided she would record her lesson, post it to her Wiki on Saywire and the homework would be to watch the video of the lesson and then she recaps the lesson in class, and works with the students in class on the practice and individualization. Because this is a new method of instruction, some parents are not comfortable with the process and miss the more traditional style of instruction.

Are any of you doing anything like this? Are you having success? Do you have any suggestions? The results from the first unit using this method are in and grades are good and homework is better than its ever been. After polling the students, she found a large majority of students who enjoy the new process. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Permalink Reply by John Sowash on February 19, 2010 at 7:22pm

I have been experimenting with the reverse instructional model in my high school Anatomy & Physiology class. The model can work very well, but requires a mind-set change on the part of the teacher and the students.

I have been uploading my PowerPoint presentations to Google Docs and posting them on my class Wiki. At the beginning of the week I hand out an outline that students complete as they review the lecture notes. I also experimented with a recorded lecture (PowerPoint with Voice) that I uploaded to YouTube. I would like all of my lectures to be in this form, I just don't have the time to put them all together.

Any teacher using the reverse instructional format must emphasize to students that listening/reviewing the lectures IS their homework and they should not skip or skim. It is also critical that face-to-face time be spent doing meaningful activities. If not, the whole system is a waste.

Here are some things that I have learned this semester:
* At the end of each lecture, include some sort of critical thinking, analysis, or research question. These questions should be at the highest level of Bloom's taxonomy. They should not be content related questions You can use these questions to start in-class discussions.
* Do random spot-checks of lecture notes. This keeps the students on their toes. I check at least once per week and give students 5 or 10 HW points.
* Be aware of technical problems. It's always best to have lectures posted well in advance to give students lots of time to view them. You will get lots of excuses as to why students couldn't view the lectures. Sometimes they are legitimate, many times they are not. Make sure you have a clear policy for this situation.
*Once a week, usually at the end of the week, you should review all of the lecture notes with students. Don't deliver the lecture again, just point out key points, add stories, etc.

If you have any more questions or tips, feel free to contact me via email jsowash at southfieldchristian dot org or via Twitter: @jrsowash.

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Permalink Reply by Tim on February 28, 2010 at 12:39am

I actually had a question about this. As educators, is it okay to post tutorials on YouTube that include textbook images? Might publishers request our content be removed or is this sort of usage generally allowed? I've avoided posting materials on YouTube since I wasn't sure of the answers to these questions.

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Permalink Reply by John Sowash on February 28, 2010 at 6:42am

I have been posting lectures with images from the textbook on YouTube without any problem. Included with my textbooks were CD's with all of the digital images from the textbook so teachers can use them in handouts, PowerPoint, etc. The publisher gave me the resource so I am using it.

You have hit on an interesting issue though. Most likely I am violating copy right law by posting my lectures. However I don't believe that I am abusing the publishers property. Copyright law and intellectual property rights need to be rewritten to more accurately reflect life in the 21st century. "Information wants to be free."

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Permalink Reply by Steve Dickie on February 20, 2010 at 7:46am

I've been doing a bit of this. So far, I've noticed a few trends:

Big spikes in viewing the night before a test or big lab report is due
Many students will never watch, but then again some students try to never watch in class either
As John points, out internet problems happen. Try to post in multiple locations. I use Blip.tv which will cross post to YouTube automatically (it used to also post to the Archive.org, but that hasn't been working lately).

There are a pair of Chem teachers in Colorado who were all over the news a couple years ago. The have guided notes to go along with their lectures. Like John, they spot check to ensure students are completing them. You can't really rely heavily on this for ensuring students are watching, however, as if you do many will just start copying.

Another cool thing you can do once you have a good set of videos already created is burn a video DVD for students who might not have reliable internet access at home.