The flipped classroom
- Julie Anctil
- Apr 30, 2021
- 2 min read
Last March at VCC, like everywhere else, we were forced out of the classroom. As well, this last September when we were able to reopen, we, the instructors, had no choice but to do things differently. We were forced into a different model of teaching once again but we had a bit of time to think about this new approach. We gave the “flipped classroom” model a try and we quickly embraced it. A flipped classroom simply means students are asked to absorb content prior to instead of during the class. The class time is then used for discussion about that content leaving more time for collaboration and practical applications.
It can be hard for us in the jewellery field to change how we do things. Our profession is very old and traditional. We can be quite set in our old ways. However, we very quickly realized that having our demos on video solved some of our basic content delivery problems. During our traditional in-class live demonstrations, some students would get bored while waiting for the slower students to catch up taking notes. The slower students felt rushed and didn’t want to hold others back. Although video demos are far from perfect and have their own specific issues, having the students watch the content in advance at their own pace, has turned the students from passive observers to more active learners. This has also freed classroom time for practicing the techniques learned and answering questions. The students feel like they maximize their workshop time.
Going forward we strive to find additional strategies to motivate and encourage the students deeply affected by the pandemic. This has proven to be a much more difficult task!
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