the Flipped Classroom

I was able to watch a TED talk (a conference where really smart people talk about their creativity and innovations) by Salman Khan, who developed the Khan Academy. This website is a collection of videos (more than 2,600 at the time of this post) that teach concepts: everything from Art History to chemistry and calculus.

I really enjoyed Mr. Khan's idea of the "Flipped Classroom." I think that current technology (and emerging technologies) is allowing us to create, innovate, and accommodate new ideas in teaching and learning. Basically, the flipped classroom means that students view videos or lectures as their homework. Then, when they get to the class, they are able to practice in a "safe" environment. As they have questions, the teacher can help them. Or, partners and groups of students can get together for collaborative learning. Peers can teach each other. Khan mentioned that he wants to "...use technology to humanize the classroom." This sounds counter-intuitive, but it makes sense. By using technology to allow students to work at their own pace, the interaction between student and teacher (or between students) becomes much more valuable. So, instead of looking at the ratio of student to teacher, we can now observe the ratio of student to valuable teacher time.

I don't think this is a brand new topic. Several of my former employers were already building software to help make this happen. Larson Texts, Inc. used a supplemental software to go along with a traditional math textbook. Carnegie Learning, Inc. uses Cognitive Tutor software to allow students to work at their own pace and receive immediate feedback. The software is partnered with a textbook that has both guided examples and additional practice problems.

My next challenge is taking this idea of the flipped classroom to other topics. Sometimes it's easy to see how this approach works with math or science. But, could this same approach work with "soft skills"? Could learners use a flipped classroom to improve communication skills, leadership skills, or even team building? The Khan Academy does have a few less tangible topics, such as currency, finance, and venture capitalist topics, but it's mostly geared toward math, science, or history. So, how does the instruction change when we start talking about interpersonal skills, communication skills, or leadership skills? I expect that I'll spend the next several months trying to answer that very question. More and more, learners (especially those in the workplace) want their learning to happen (1) on their terms, (2) in the moment, and (3) in short snippets.

(1) Learners want to be able to learn in their own environment and in a way that's best for them. (Can you blame them?!) This could mean online learning, self-reflection, independent reading, or discussion forums.

(2) Learns want to be able to learn in the moment, or just-in-time. If I'm developing a video using Adobe Captivate, I want to be able to learn how to add audio to a slide deck in the moment that I need to add that audio.

(3) I don't need the whole course on Adobe Captivate, I  just need the 5 minutes that will show me how to insert the audio.

Any suggestions as I tackle this challenge?!? I'm all ears.