Flipped classrooms

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model that inverts the traditional classroom so that class time is used for higher cognitive learning activities, while students read instructional content online beforehand in readiness for class time. The concept of a flipped classroom emerged in the United States in the late 1990s with work done by Harvard physicist Eric Mazur (1997). He had his students reading and answering questions about a topic before they went to class so that class time could be used for more informed discussions and interactive activities. The flipped classroom concept grew out of the need to use classroom learning time more productively and to encourage active learning in class while also taking advantage of the growth in education-based online technologies. The advancement in technological tools such as interactive videos, interactive in-class activities, and learning management systems has contributed to increasing the prevalence of flipped classrooms. However, studies of the benefits for learning of this model commonly show mixed results, and more research needs to be undertaken. This entry investigates what the term “flipped classroom” means, why it emerged, how it has manifested itself over recent years, and some commentary on the effectiveness and equity of this flipped classroom approach to teaching and learning.