MOOCs and the Flipped Classroom; A Way, Not THE Way
1. MOOCS
and
the
“Flipped
Classroom”
like
with
PBL
and
TBL;
are
SOME
strategies
that
we
can
use
as
educators.
A
way.
Not
THE
way.
Poh-‐Sun
Goh
Lets
try
to
put
the
"Flipped
Classroom"
in
perspective.
When
we
write
an
article
on
this
topic,
or
give
a
workshop
or
faculty
development
presentation
on
this
topic;
it
does
not
mean
we
endorse
a
particular
"technique"
or
"approach"
as
THE
approach,
or
THE
answer
to
ALL
educational
and
teaching
challenges.
Understanding
the
background,
context,
and
supporting
evidence
for
any
approach,
and
then
contextualizing
these
approaches,
and
thoughtfully
and
rigorously
testing
these
approaches,
first
empirically,
then
in
a
series
of
formal
studies,
presenting
and
then
writing
these
up
for
peer
review
and
feedback;
and
continually
revising
and
refining
these
ideas
is
not
only
the
traditional
academic
pathway,
but
the
proper
and
measured
path
to
follow.
We
are
in
the
early
days
of
MOOCs,
and
the
use
of
the
Flipped
Classroom.
Like
with
any
recipe
for
cooking,
applying
without
understanding
the
key
elements
of
what
LEARNING
we
are
trying
to
support,
and
how
we
can
CUSTOMISE
and
INDIVIDUALIZE
this
learning
will
not
do
justice
to
any
proposed
or
new
educational
innovation;
or
help
successfully
deliver
the
final
educational
product
or
culinary
dish.
The
reason
why
"problem
based
learning"
is
"effective",
a
technique
which
current
educators
are
familiar
with,
is
that
an
unstructured
problem
is
presented
first,
before
exploratory
discussion,
guided
discussion,
then
search
for
information
and
evidence,
followed
by
more
interactive
discussion
and
feedback
(either
Maastricht
style
or
McMaster
style).
As
an
example
of
an
"older"
educational
innovation,
Problem
Based
Learning
or
PBL,
which
contains
many
of
the
the
elements
of
"established"
educational
theory,
has
had
a
difficult
time
over
the
last
few
decades
trying
to
develop
evidence
that
it
is
THE
WAY,
or
THE
BEST
WAY.
Team
Based
Learning,
or
TBL
is
yet
another
more
recent
approach
to
promote
active
and
exploratory
learning;
based
on
the
tenets
of
constructivism.
MOOCS
and
the
“Flipped
Classroom”,
like
with
PBL
and
TBL;
are
SOME
strategies
that
we
can
use
as
educators.
A
way.
Not
THE
way.