Eclectic Technology

What is the best way to flip a classroom? Perhaps it is not showing videos first, but allowing the student to experiment first and then watch videos or read material. This study shows that students experimented first had substantial improvement in performance.

This study used a specific "new interactive tabletop learning environment, called BrainExplorer, which was developed by Stanford GSE researchers to enhance neuroscience instruction." Based on the use of this environment students did better exploring first. The experiment is described and data is shared in this article and it shows that the group who experimented first had a significant improvement in their final score.

There is an explanation as to why they chose the field of neuroscience as their goal (quoted from post below):

“Part of our goal,” the researchers write, “is to create low-cost, easy-to-scale educational platforms based on open source, free software and off-the-shelf building blocks such as web cameras and infrared pens so that our system can be easily and cheaply deployed in classrooms.”

The article also notes that this 'many educational researchers and cognitive scientists have been asserting for many years: the “exploration first” model is a better way to learn.'

Have you wondered what students views are on digital learning? Not just the students in your school but students from across the U.S.? For Digital Learning Day a survey was conducted and some of the results have been published. 

This post provides a top ten list of students views on digital learning. Below are a few of the points, but additional information is available (including statistics) if you click through.

1. Use the Internet to help with homework at home?

2. Learning any time, any place, any pace.

3. What do kids think about flipped classrooms?

4. Pixel or print, what is your reading style?

Take these questions into your classroom and see if your students agree or disagree with the survey findings.