Poster on using the flipped classroom model in a hospital library setting

1. Flipping the Classroom: Illuminating Information Literacy
FlippingtheClassroom:IlluminatingInformationLiteracy
TRADITIONAL
Usually..
• In-person class
• Content delivered in a lecture style
• Teacher as the primary disseminator of information
Why:
In our setting, the level of search skills can vary dramatically between participants. It is
also difficult for some hospital staff to come to our workshops for any longer than one-
hour, therefore we have very limited time to teach.
How:
We applied the flipped model to 3 of our workshops: PubMed, Medline, and an
introduction to searching course called, Maximizing Your Search Skills.
We took most of the curriculum content for the workshops and placed it in online
resource guides that could be accessed prior to the workshops. We used Libguides
from Springshare as our content management system.
We tried to make the resource guides visually appealing and added videos and pictures
whenever appropriate. All flipped classroom resource guides contain a PDF link to a
workshop handout which contains a mini-quiz.
Before class
• Participants register through our Learning Management System
• Upon registration participants receive an email explaining the class format with a link
to the resource guide
• Participants are encouraged to print the handout and complete a mini-quiz
During class:
• Instructors do a short review of the content in the resource guide and the mini-quiz
• Instructors adapt their presentation according to how participants react during the
short review
• Participants are encouraged to ask questions
• Participants are provided substantial class time to practice searching and ask more
questions
• Sample search exercises are provided, or they can work on their own research
FLIPPED
Usually..
• Instructional content reviewed prior to class, often online
• Class time is used for active application of learning
• Learner centred model
What is the flipped classroom?
The Hospital:
• St. Michael’s Hospital, downtown Toronto
• 6000 staff; 3,500 students; 780 physicians
The Health Sciences Library
• Available for staff, physicians, students, & volunteers
• 3.5 information specialists
• 3.5 technicians
• 1 team leader, 1 manager
The Workshops
• Approximately 6 different workshops offered monthly
• 1 hour in length
Our setting
Why/How we flipped things up Results
Recommendations for practice
Sandy Iverson, David Lightfoot, Bridget Morant, and Carolyn Ziegler
SandyIverson,DavidLightfoot,BridgetMorantandCarolynZiegler
What did the students think?
From May 2014-June 2015, 167 evaluation forms were
completed for 29 flipped workshops. The student
satisfaction statistics did not show a significant
change (up 2%).
Our resource guides were well received and
viewed on average 3 times a day.
The flipped workshops were generally well
received. Students found them engaging, informative, practical, useful, and
easy to follow. They often mentioned liking the highly interactive hands-on
nature of the workshops, the supplementary materials, as well as having an
online guide to reference later.
While most students liked the format, those that did not tended to comment
either on their inability or resistance to having to do pre-work, or, that it was
bothersome that other people had not done the pre-work.
Instructors struggled in the beginning with the unscripted nature
of this style of teaching. The most common frustration for
instructors was that students did not complete the pre-work.
2 out of 6 instructors preferred teaching the flipped workshop model. All
instructors found value in the increased amount of interaction with students.
PubMed resource guide homepage Mini quiz to be completed before class
What did the instructors think?
Communicating expectations is key: Initially, learners did not understand the
importance of doing the pre-work in the resource guide and would arrive
unprepared. We now send out two automated emails; one immediately after
registration and the other 48 hours before the workshop. The instructor also
reminds the students of the workshop format at the beginning of the session.
If someone has not completed the pre-work, use this as an opportunity for those
that have prepared to demonstrate their knowledge.
Facilitating versus teaching: This model of instruction requires excellent
facilitation skills from the instructor. Facilitation skills may not come easily to some
instructors and practice may be needed. It’s important to let the learners take an
active role in teaching each other.
Setting a good educational climate at the beginning of the workshop is important.
Learners need to know that it is a safe space to ask questions and discover new
searching techniques. If the environment is rigid, the learning will be too.
Reference: Iverson S, Lightfoot D, Morant B, Ziegler C. Implementing the flipped classroom model utilizing online learning guides in an academic hospital library setting. In: Maddison T, Kumararan, M, editors. Distributed Learning: Pedagogy and Technology in Online Information Literacy Instruction. Cambridge:
Chandos; 2017. p. 403-422.