From the Academic Dean: The Flipped Classroom

The expression “flipped classroom” is becoming a popular topic around education circles.  A flipped classroom in a traditional school is one where students listen to lectures and learn content outside of the classroom (at home via technology) and then use actual class time for involvement with the teacher, working on problems, interacting in discussion with each other, or completing labs.  Essentially what happens in a flipped classroom is that traditional teaching methods are moved to delivering instruction online and “homework” or activities are moved into the classroom when students and teachers come together.  This is a “flipped” or inverted model to what traditional education has been which is lecture based during class time.

The hybrid concept at Northeastern – Seattle is a graduate level model of the “flipped classroom.”  Students learn much of the content of a course on-line that was traditionally lecture driven in a classroom.  Students and the instructor meet on-ground in the hybrid model a few times a semester to work through problems, be involved in experiential exercises, and have group discussion that may be better face to face than on-line. 

A benefit of the flipped classroom which includes on-line learning in a hybrid context is that students are able to watch content multiple times before meeting together on-ground.  This makes their time face to face more meaningful because the time can be used to maximize their learning.

Angela L.E. Walmsley, Ph.D., Associate Dean – Academic