By: Cassandra Hendry
In thousands of classrooms across Canada, students sit in bolted-down chairs, periodically nodding off as a professor drones on for three hours straight. In these classes, a lecture truly lives up to its name. It鈥檚 not always pretty.
And then there鈥檚 Richard Nimijean鈥檚 classes.
Nimijean, a professor of Canadian Studies at 杏吧原创, decided that he wanted to try a new way of teaching: a flipped classroom.
Flipping a classroom means that the traditional professor-student dynamic is thrown out the window in favour of a co-operative learning environment where students think critically about the course material.
This includes creating discussion questions for break-out groups in class, participating in cuLearn exercises, and keeping PowerPoint presentations brief to promote active learning and avoid distractions.
鈥淔lipping is a little bit dangerous but also a lot of fun,鈥� says Nimijean. 鈥淎ny time you try to do something different, there鈥檚 always a fear that鈥檚 involved because you鈥檙e going away from what鈥檚 known, not only for you but for your students.鈥�
Nimijean鈥檚 first experience in flipping was while teaching a Canadian Studies course in the summer semester of 2012. He faced some difficulties as students could choose to watch the course online鈥攚hich meant a vibrant classroom atmosphere wasn鈥檛 possible with only six students.
鈥淒espite my intentions, it turned into a three hour lecturefest twice a week,鈥� he says.
He tried again in 2013 in his next major first-year class, now armed with a better understanding of flipping from the past year and a half.
Term papers and lectures were gone; Nimijean introduced break-out groups, one minute essays, and final papers that made students think critically about real world scenarios.
鈥淚 think students do recognize when you鈥檙e trying, when you鈥檙e passionate, when you listen to them and respect them,鈥� he says.
Flipping didn鈥檛 always live up to Nimijean鈥檚 expectations, though. Some students found it too challenging and were confused by his break from the traditional lecture atmosphere. After receiving some negative midterm reviews by students, he decided to revert back to the standard teaching method.
鈥淵ou feel like you鈥檙e really putting yourself out there. But it was seen as a burden precisely by those students who you鈥檙e trying to help the most,鈥� he says.
Despite the stumbling blocks, Nimijean says he鈥檇 like to try it again, calling it a 鈥済reat experience.鈥� This time, he says he鈥檒l stick to upper-year classes, where participation and stimulating class discussion are more welcomed.
鈥淚 think the benefits are there, but as I鈥檓 reflecting on things now, it could always be better. It鈥檚 an ongoing experiment.鈥�