Problems with the Flipped Class

The first thing to notice about the student responses is that of the 216 student responses, 82.9% of students (179) said that they wanted to keep the flipped classroom as it was, as Chart 1 shows. In other words, better than 4 out of 5 students like the flipped classroom and believe that it helped them succeed in the class.

Chart 1: Distribution of percentage of responses about flipped classroom.

Responses
Keep	179
Change	27
Drop	10
TOTALS	216

Chart 2: Distribution of responses about flipped classroom

Negatives by Term
12 Win	13
12 Spr	5
12 Sum	9
12 Fall	10
13 Win	0
TOTALS	37

Chart 3: Distribution of negative responses by term

As you can see in Chart 3, of the 37 students who wanted to change or drop the flipped class technique, 13 (35.1%) were enrolled  in the 2012 Winter quarter, the first quarter that I used a flipped class. This means that 13 out of 62 total students for that term (21%) were in some way unhappy with the flipped class. This was the highest percentage of negatives for time period monitored, and it suggests that I did not manage my flip very well the first time that I tried it.

I think the students told me where I failed, and they made some excellent suggestions for correcting my mistakes. I'm listing all of the comments from the 37 students who said they would change or drop the flipped classroom method. I will try to make sense of these comments in my next post.

Change the flipped classroom. How would you change the flipped classroom?

1. 01/12 ENG0099 MW 12:30 The only problem I had is I work a lot on the weekends so it was kinda hard from to do the homework on the weekend.
2. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 8:30 Just balance out the time spent online with the time spent reading the textbook and class activities
3. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 8:30 I would emphasize at the beginning of the term that you are not expected to fully understand what is going on and that we will discuss it during the next class.  I know that you said not to worry about it when we had questions or concerns in the beginning but I don't think it was stressed enough.  After week two you know what to expect and you get it that you will be reading and doing things that you will have questions or reservations about but when you get into class you do make it clear.
4. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 8:30 I would have exercises in class more and have them review with the videos a bit. It was great as is, but i found that the exercises towards the end were really helpful and more or less helped review things that we older students look over. The maps for example, were great for preparation of a paper. Overall, it was great but more class exercises in the beginning. The most basic tools are the easiest to look over.
5. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 8:30 I don't want to say drop the flipped class just explain it better. It is hard to enter a classroom after 20 years of not being in school and have that introduced to you. I think once again it is going outside my comfort zone and opening up to new experiences and technologies. The flipped classroom also made me feel that I wasn't getting everything done properly, I would get so busy with my other classes studying and doing papers that I would forget to watch the video until Friday or Saturday and it just made me fell like something was never finished. I watched a lot of videos online about the flipped classroom and understand the concept it was just new to me and most of the class.
6. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 12:30 The only problem I had is I work a lot on the weekends so it was kinda hard from to do the homework on the weekend.
7. 01/12 MW 7:50 maybe you should start teaching class in a computer lab. that way if we have a problem with something it can be solved right then and there. also this would allow us to do more work in class, simply because everyone would be on the same page.
8. 01/12 MW 7:50 the flipped classroom was great because we learned the subject at home and let it marinate in our heads. then being in class, we can actually put it into work with fellow classmates, while having access to you for any and every questions. also i would suggest for you to request a class room with computers just so we wouldnt have to seperate from the class and you be in another room , not being able to walk us through right then and there.. alot of people are more of a hands on textile learner. to me would seem much easier and more comfortable learning experience with the computer lab. 
9. 01/12 MW 7:50 I WOULD MAKE IT MORE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WE HAD OUR WEEKLY ASSESSMENTS BUT IT ALSO STATED WE NEEDED TO READ AN ARTICLE BUT I NEVER UNDERSTOOD IF THE ARTICLES APPLIED TO WHICH QUESTION, IT WAS CONFUSING AT TIMES. 
10. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 7:50 I understood more outside the classroom with the help of the videos, perhaps more explanation in the classroom would help
11. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 7:50 I don't know it was ok but not so much for me.
12. 04/12 ENG1001 MW 6:00 More discussion in class would have been better.
13. 04/12 ENG2001 MW 7:50 I feel like more emphasis on the book and assignments in class based on the book would be helpful in learning the writing techniques. I sometimes felt confused about the lessons. 
14. 04/12 ENG2001 MW 7:50 Needed more guidance on how the flipped class works and really should have a option not everyone is computer literature beyond checking their accounts on Face book. I was kind of clueless on writing papers on the computer.
15. 07/12 ENG1002 MW 8:30 I am not a big fan of the flipped classroom. I wish we did more reading in class and a bit more explaning in class. Sometimes we come to class just to write and sometimes a feel a bit lost. Sometimes I might read something at home, but dont really understand. I just rather more in class reading.
16. 07/12 ENG1002 MW 8:30 to much work i didnt like them
17. 07/12 ENG2001 MW 10:30 I wasnt really interseted into the flipeed class I think that it shold be on a topic that we all want to talk about.
18. 07/12 ENG2001 MW 10:30 I would keep the flip class, but require a set number of outside resorces to be posted through google plus and writing or discussing three of the subjects in the class room, hence cutting back on the blog.
19. 07/12 ENG2001 MW 10:30 It help but for me I'm a more hands on person so just telling me to do it and not showing me make it a little harder. but this help my computer skills when i first started the class i didn't know what this was but now I'm very much inforned and can go on learning with a finish hand on computing.
20. 07/12 ENG2001 TR 6:00 "There was not enough working in class for me, just limited to questions online and not exercising in groups... maybe having a class in the lab it was not that helpful after all...It distracts students too much!"
21. 10/12 ENG0099 MW 8:30 Due to the status quo flipped classroom caused confusion to me. It didnt work so well for me because I wasnt properly informed about it then again in the begining I was usually late for class. Either way flipped classrooms are confusing.
22. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 12:30 I like the flipped class, but agin I think it would be hard for those of us who aren't always on the computer or know how to use it to our benefit. If it's explained a little better, i think more people will really get into it. 
23. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 12:30 I do enjoyb the flipped class, but sometimes I find it a bit confusing. I think we should go more into detail in class on what we are talking about. When we have assessments to do at home that comes from the book, I feel we should go over it more in class. 
24. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 7:50 Again, we didn't really talk about the assesment, so either change them or don't use them. I don't know how to fix problem.
25. 10/12 ENG2003 MW 6:00 I loved the flipped class. I do feel however that I would have enjoyed hearing Professor Hamon read a bit more of the literature with us in class or even online as online lectures as I found this to be even more effective in helping me to understand the stories or poems.
26. 10/12 ENG2003 MW 6:00 I liked the flipped class on one level because it gave me a chance to think about an assignment completely from an untainted perspective, before talking about it in class. I just think maybe we should have spent more time deciphering some of the literature in class as well. So maybe a more blended version of a flipped class.
27. 10/12 ENG2003 MW 6:00 It was different, but personally I would prefer most of the work to have been done in clss and the internet things as a guide or reference. The google doc was the main thing that I really really enjoyed as it helped organize and keep track of papers without having to carry around a flashdrive. But this is a writing class, so it is expected, of course, as we are writing our final online. It is definitely something to get used to and I would not be surprised if more courses or all will soon be the same in the early years to come. 

Drop the flipped classroom. What was strong and/or weak about the flipped classroom for you?

1. 01/12 ENG1001 MW 7:50 I am more of a visual learning so flipped class didn't really help me much.
2. 01/12 ENG1001 TR 8:30 The whole thing.
3. 04/12 ENG1001 MW 8:30 It didn't work for me.
4. 04/12 ENG1001 MW 6:00 I rather the proffesor just force a topic upon us and then we do the research on the topic. This is probabbly due to the fact every single proffesor works with style and so it's better to just continue to work on what were used to. Especially when there a grade invloved.
5. 07/12 ENG1002 MW 8:30 I didn't really get it. 
6. 07/12 ENG1002 MW 8:30 Didnt like. Really dont care to share we stronger.
7. 07/12 ENG2001 MW 10:30 I didnt really like that i kept forgetting to do those and when i came back to class the next day that swhen i remembered that we had to do them.
8. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 12:30 I really didnt care for it, because I was blogging more to my own class. 
9. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 12:30 It was great to see everything that was do or would be do online - remembering to check the wiki, etc. was a different matter.  It made attending class more difficult aqs it was clearly a more or less online class...So it wasn't clear what the in class sessions aimed to accomplish.
10. 10/12 ENG1001 MW 7:50 I felt overwhelmed with the flipp class, until I got the hang of it, I did not know how to keep up. Also I feel more students will attend class, and perhaps complete more assignments.