1. Flipping the Classroom to help with Time Restrictions in High School Chemistry
http://venture-lab.org/education/reports/10878
Time Restrictions in a High School Setting
A science instructor is teaching a chemistry class in the traditional high school setting. The
curriculum for this course involves both lab work and course work pertaining to different
disciplines of the subject. On top of this, the course requires a strong conceptual understanding
of basic chemistry. With limited resources, especially time (An hour a day five days a week, from
September to the beginning of May) it is challenging to fit in the required lab work, along with
covering the curriculum. In order to fit in labs the lecture based course work is often times put off
and it is expected that the students catch up on it. But, the students do have the textbook, and
homework sets that are covered in class before each test. The instructor wants a way for his
students to get an in-class feeling while they are at home (A very large majority have internet
easily accessible outside of class). What innovative techniques could be used to help cover the
entirety of the curriculum, both inside and outside of the classroom, that would allow for the
greatest success for the students?
Not enough instructional time is a common concern for many teachers, but it is
more of an issue for science classes that also have time-intensive laboratory
components. There are often suggestions for students to do as much hands-on
work as possible as they learn much by “doing science”, but one of the side
effects of this method results in students who love to “do science” but have little
understanding of how it works.
One option to consider for this instructional dilemma of time is to flip the
classroom. The most basic tenet of flipping involves using class time for
experiential learning, working problems, peer activities, etc., and using out of
class time for the instructional material. So instead of sitting in class listening to
lectures then going home to do homework, the students watch videos at home,
and then come into the classroom to practice and experience their topic.
In the given scenario, learners are in a traditional high school chemistry setting.
Students are in the class for an hour a day, 5 days a week, for a typical school
year. A very large majority of students have internet access. As the technical
expertise of the instructor and students is not addressed, we can consider several
options for the instructional material side of this. Khan Academy is a good place
to start, as they have many tools for teachers and an extensive array of chemistry
videos for instruction. The system is set up for students to self-pace as they show

2. mastery of a topic so some modifications may need to be made so students are
prepared for the labs that will be done in the classroom. Students can still take
tests in the classroom or they can be assessed through the website. If the
chemistry teacher is proficient at making his own videos, he could also use TedEd
or Knowmia for making instructional materials. Depending on the comfort level of
the learners and instructor, implementation can begin on a topical basis. Perhaps
flipping the classroom can be done for a unit, and then the next unit can be done
in a traditional manner so as to give everyone time to address issues that may
arise. For example, what are the options if a student does not have Internet
access at home or their Internet is down while they are to be viewing a video? If
students have smartphones with data plans they can substitute, or the computer
lab at school may be available, or videos can even be transferred to a DVD that
can be used without Internet access.
It is imperative that the videos correlate with the curriculum of the school. Simply
assigning random videos and labs will not cover all of the competencies that are
expected. It is still the teacher’s responsibility to ensure a comprehensive and
thorough exposure to the material. This will necessitate some lecture and
instruction in the classroom. High school students are typically open to flipping
the classroom as it is more interactive and learner centered, more social, and
more “fun” since they are getting to do more hands-on activities. If students are
not technologically literate, there are solutions in pairing and peer teaching that
are often very successful. Often flipping is motivating to the students as they are
given more control over their learning, and the infinite patience of the computer
allows repeat viewing of lectures, review of material they did not understand or
may have missed, and the ability to branch out, all with relative autonomy from
their peers. If a learner is having difficulty with the material, the teacher has
access to information (via Khan Academy, for example) that tells him how much
time the student is spending on a topic, what the student is struggling with, how
they compare to the other students, and a wealth of other data that can be useful
in determining mastery. Traditional classroom testing can also be used, as well as
group projects, lab reports, and other assessment tools.
By freeing up the teacher from preparing and giving lectures, flipping the
classroom can help with the time dilemma this teacher faces. Having more time
to interact with the students, allow students more hands on lab time, and more
autonomous learning time can all help with student success.