Flipped Learning, It's All About the Class Time

I am 3/4 of the way through my first full year of flipped learning and there is one thing I can tell you, it's all about the class time.  With direct instruction removed from class time, there is much more time for student exploration.   I have given up control of the learning from me and handed it over to my students.  One of the biggest differences is how I present demonstrations to my students.

For the last 19 years of teaching I have been the one at the front of the room presenting physics demonstrations to my students.  I was the one interacting with the equipment, I was the one telling them what concepts it showed, etc.  This is the first year where my students are the ones touching, moving, and interacting with the demonstrations.  My students are the ones analyzing and coming up with hypotheses on what is going on.  

Over the past few months I have been working with the Explore, Flip, Apply model.  This week's topic is sound.  I began the week with students going around to stations making observations and analysis of 6 sound demonstrations.  Students were challenged to explain each demo through exploration and inquiry.

Students explore the concept of beats by changing the frequencies of sounds from 2 speakers.

A student creates standing waves in the Chinese Singing Fountain Bowl.

As they make their way around to each demonstration, I am there to guide them and answer any questions (both procedural and analytical).  These are demonstrations that I used to do in front of the class of 24 students, and maybe calling one student up to volunteer to assist.  Flipped learning is a game changer!  It has given me the class time to engage every student in every demonstration.

It took about 2 class periods for the students to explore the demonstrations.  The next time I see them each student will have viewed the video lesson on Sound on YouTube (hence, the "flip" part of Explore, Flip, Apply).  When students return to me next class, they will have the opportunity to discuss how their original inquiry match up with the actual physics of each demo in small groups.  I will next challenge them to apply their understanding of sound to determine the speed of sound in a classroom activity.

The more I do the Explore, Flip, Apply model, the more I like it.  I reflect back to earlier in the school year when students were viewing the video lesson first and then coming in to apply.   By giving students the opportunity to explore the concepts before the video lesson, I see them more engaged with the content and better prepared to apply the physics to labs.   Flipped learning has given me and my students the time to perform the demonstrations in smaller groups one on one.

How do you allow for student exploration of your content?  Have you tried the Explore, Flip, Apply model?  Please share in the comments section.  Thank you.