In-Class Benefits of the Flipped Composition Class

In my last post, I claimed that students were most enthusiastic about the ways in which a flipped composition class helped them manage their work flows. They liked the heightened sense of control that they had over accessing and handling course content, course assignments, and coursework. But I think I made a mistake. I've looked more closely at the responses, and I think I unreasonably distinguished student enthusiasm for the ways in which a flipped composition class enhanced their in-class experience and enhanced the student-teacher relationship. As I look over the comments, I think now these two should be seen as aspects of the same benefit: students like the way the flipped composition class changes the in-class experience, which includes the ways that they relate to each other, to the course content, and to the instructor. This, I think, is the number one benefit that my students have noted (77/292, 26.4%). Let's see if I can unpack their thinking.

The active classroom: Many faculty seem to think that the main part of flipping a class is moving lectures online, but I have not found this to be the case. For me, the main part is making my class more active. If I move the lecture/demonstration out of the class and onto the Net—which is really a rather trivial task technologically—then my class is left with this gaping hole in the classroom that we have to fill, and of course, as the instructor, I'm supposed to do most of the filling. I must work hardest at replacing in-class lectures and demonstrations with activities that synchronize with and support those now online lectures and demonstrations. In some respects, this is rather easy with a writing class—we simply do much of our writing in class on our computers and we use peer reviews—but from time-to-time, we need to reinforce some specific issue that the students did not master with the online lectures. I have to find interesting, engaging, active ways to do that. I don't always succeed, but I must succeed well enough that I've caught my students' attention. They have this to say about an active classroom:

1. I liked the flipped class as you call it. It helped a lot on understanding the exercises we needed to do on documents and lectures that were presented. It was more visual to see it presented by groups in class and everyone had a chance to show their point of view the way they processed the learning. Just doing group on documentation did not make sense to me though. Individualism works better on doing documents during class time for me but groups as a class works really well. We all have many different ideas. 
2. It kept me not worrying about having to do too much work outside of the classroom and concentrated on what really mattered
3. Keep the flipped class, but we [have] to work more in the classroom.
4. This was my first time being in a flipped classroom.  I enjoyed this method very much, and prefer teaching to be this way!  In other classes, when teachers are standing up there lecturing the whole time I tend to daydream.  I lose focus very easily.  With the flipped classroom, we are constantly on computers.  Technology is everything now-a-days.  When I would get done with my work for this class I could move on to any other work for other classes.  The flipped class allowed us to work independently, which I loved.
5. I love the flipped classroom it's very interesting. You do all the work at home and when you come back to class bring all the questions you need answered.
6. Everything was good about the flipped classroom. It gave me ample time to work on my papers and ask questions when I had to

A learning-centered classroom: An active classroom appears to have many educational benefits. Student writers appear to benefit from working on their documents and with the course content in the company of colleagues and instructors. Especially after I moved my flipped classes to a computer lab, my students benefitted from having most all necessary resources close to hand.

1. The flipped class allowed us more time to understand what we were doing in class. It worked out great for me and helped me understand what I needed to write and how to improve my writing. 
2. We applied what we did on the net and incorporated into the class to discuss it. Very new, I think you should stress more and possible get the university to look into having flipped classes.
3. How we could learn and read things at home, and anything we needed helped with or was confused about, we could just come the next class and ask. Having the flipped classroom help students to do work at home, so they won't be lost the next class.
4. Keep them i think we learn more when we do more hands on lectures [hands on lectures is a new term for me, but I like it. I may use it soon in a blog post.]
5. 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 classroom with computers just so we wouldn't have to separate from the class and you be in another room , not being able to walk us through right then and there.. a lot of people are more of a hands on tactile learner. to me would seem much easier and more comfortable learning experience with the computer lab.
6. The flipped class is good. It enables and ensures that we are prepared for the class and if there are questions , we address them in class.
7. keep the flipped class because it give us more time in class to understand the materials and ask question.
8. I liked the flipped classroom. I like how by doing this in the classroom setting it left the classroom open to work on things we really need help with, I never [felt] as if i was just home doing homework and I was lost, because most of the core work was done in the classroom
9. It was GREAT!! If I was home and didn't understand, I was able to ask the next time we met for class.
10. I enjoyed the flipped classroom. I do wish we had more time for class discussions, as I previously mentioned. Overall, I think the flipped classroom did help me improve my writing.
11. almost the best part of the class, this is my first time experiencing the flip class and I fell in love with it.gave class time more of a discussion then learning session
12. Time management is huge when attending school and any extra time to do work is needed. The flipped class technique gives students a chance to ask questions and receive direct assistance when doing their assignment. Often students find themselves lost at home trying to figure out the topic and staying focused. With the flipped class technique, homework can be done at the best time possible.

Practical learning: An active, flipped classroom is less theoretical and more practical, which many of my students appreciate. Lectures and even demonstrations can be too abstract for many, but when they are working on their own documents to craft a deductive argument, then tips from a colleague or from the instructor can be immediately handy and concrete.

1. It not only allowed for information-based learning, but also practical learning.
2. I liked to be able to do my work in class.  It gets pretty chaotic trying to find time for all your homework is due in a week.
3. the flipped classrooms are great because we intake the new teachings on our level of comfort and then get to come into class and elaborate and question what we don't understand. The only thing i think is a little weak is the interaction between teacher and students. For example, i wish that the subject that was difficult for most of the students be elaborated more for better understanding, compared to grouping the students that are questioning the task at hand and losing interest on what they are suppose to learn. There is nothing wrong with a little more lecturing to students for a better understanding of a new subject compared to student to student interaction.
4. This concreted what you wanted us to learn so I think you should keep it.  

Peer-enabled learning: An active, flipped classroom restructures the relationships among students.

1. I liked the flipped class it was easy to work on papers and get my peers advice on how to write my paper during class.
2. I like the class participation and conversation that took [place] during the class. We all shared ideas and bounced things off each other. I don't like to go home and write. It is hard to just say, "ok, I'm gonna do that Eng. assignment now". In reality,that rarely happens. It got my creative juices flowing.
3. I wish all my classes were like this. I love the fact that we got help in doing our assignments in class. Best class I ever had.
4. i liked the flipped classroom because it gave me more one on one help from my peers and instructor.
5. I personally liked the flipped class because it gave us a chance to interact with our peers in class and do the lectures at home.
6. very strong, assignments were done in class and helped us seek help between classmate work as team members with the teacher being present and available for help
7. I preferred using the flipped class method because it gives you the option of completing assignments on your own schedule, before the due date. You are also able to communicate with your classmates and professors via the web if you have any questions or concerns about an assignment.
8. I think flipped classrooms should stay because it allowed students to keep in contact even when they were not in the classroom. It also allowed them to keep up with the classwork and assignments.
9. Although Professor Hamon was present, available to be of assistance and willing to assist at all times, relating to another student was very beneficial. The video lectures gave us the main points of the lessons and working by way of computer was a great learning tool. The only way that this type of class setting could or would be difficult to the students in the beginning is, if they are not computer literate. However by the end of the course they will be.

Instructor-enabled learning: An active, flipped classroom also restructures the relationship between students and instructor. Students overwhelmingly value the increased interaction between students and instructor, though at least a few were uncomfortable with the outside work, which often asked them to try things that they could not easily do. Students do not like failing at any task, and it took them a long time to develop the faith that I would not penalize them if they could not correctly accomplish some task outside of class. They could not quite grasp a participation grade that rewards effort rather than measures competence. Most, however, saw that they could correct in an upcoming class any issues that they identified in the out-of-class work and that they would learn better after they had identified precisely what they didn't know.

1. The flipped class keeps the class interesting I liked it [a lot].  The idea of being able to work and ask the instructor questions the whole time while in class was great.
2. I think you are bringing a creative way of teaching. This method could help students who are not strong learners during class time. It may work for someone who likes to be home where its quiet, no distraction. Weak point, it depends on the student and what works for them. I enjoyed flip class.
3. I liked that we were responsible for doing the reading outside of class, it's too hard to wait for everyone in class, you were expected to show up prepared. I liked that you were here to help while we were writing as well. It was a little discouraging that the assignment due dates changed. For those of us who were always prepared it's discouraging to stress to get the work done on time and not be rewarding, especially when others in the class got a week more than I did without losing any points for being late.
4. I think this is great because often people don't have time to work on their assignments out of class due to different issues. This flipped class strategy give us a chance to finish and do our best on our assignments. We are also able to get extra help from professor Hamon in class when we needed.
5. The flipped class thing worked for me. I was able to do "in class" assignments on my own time. I liked it because instead of being lectured in class, we were able to get assistance on our documents.
6. i like the fact that we can work on assignments during class while the teacher is there
7. I think you should keep flipped classrooms because it is more easy going and it is not that much work as a regular classroom. it is actually better because you can do all your work and projects in the class and get the help you need by the teacher rather than doing it at home. the other thing i like is that you do all your lectures at home rather than in the classroom. its way better.
8. flipped classes is good because we do the work and then we come to class to discuss it . and prof Hamon helps us a lot with our papers.
9. I love the flipped classroom because Mr. Hamon explained everything step by step in class so you know exactly what to do and how to do it from home.
10. If we had any questions on the lectures you helps out, explaining the subject.
11. I enjoy watching the lectures online and if I have a question we go over the lectures on class.
12. The flipped class keeps the class interesting I liked it a lot.  The idea of being able to work and ask the instructor questions the whole time while in class was great.
13. I loved the fact that we watched videos and read outside of class and just discussed in class so we had more time with the professor to clear up anything we were unclear about.
14. Flipped class should be in all classes. It was extremely helpful to do lectures at home and write down questions that I could ask the teacher next class. It also was helpful to have more of the professor's time in class to have more one on one with the students rather than waiting for class to be over or not having time to meet up with them. It was also great for the students that did not have questions it would not hold them up and their work would get done.
15. I think this is great because often people don't have time to work on their assignments out of class due to different issues. This flipped class strategy give us a chance to finish and do our best on our assignments. We are also able to get extra help from professor Hamon in class when we needed.
16. The flipped class allows for more learning with the professor compared to others. It allows us to accomplish more work and feel more connected to everyone. 
17. Flipped classroom is a definitely keep,its actually fun and i don't get slammed when it come to homework. Its a great way of getting work done and if you need help i can always go right to the teacher for help.
18. It let us understand the material before class. Take our time with it e-mail teacher with questions and then come to class to go over any remainder questions. It allowed for more in class teacher time. 
19. I actually prefer a flip course because I have a question about an assignment you are there to answer/ help me.
20. I loved the lectures and assignments being at home.  When you come to class and have questions while you are writing the subject matter expert was right there.  Keep the flipped class.
21. The strong part about flip class was getting the help we need in class right away instead of just didn't understand something at home and had to wait for next class.
22. we can ask questions and do a work at home
23. I may seem repetitive, but i have to continue to say that it is something that i cannot believe i have not seen before.  This form of teaching is absolutely genius.  I have no problem with receiving a lecture on my own and having to then apply what was discussed in the lecture inside the classroom with the teacher.  It allows the teacher to help me if i run into any kind of trouble.  This method is great and it works.
24. When i first started i did not like flipped class but as it went on i learned to enjoy it and realize that i learn more in that type of class setting and it much better professor to student communication
25. I did everything at home and when I came to class I could ask the Professor anything I did [not] understand. I loved the flipped class. I worked well with me and it wasn't so stressful like my other classes. There was nothing weak about the flipped class.
26. The great thing about flipped classroom was that you can get most of the work done at home and don't have to rush in class to do so. When you come to class, everything is done or the majority is done. At least a rough draft. the weak part about it is that the professor isn't there to help you at home like being in class, he's always there when you need him/her.
27. STRONG: because sometime at home you don't find the time to do your work, so the fact that you get the chance to do it in school is awesome, and also the teacher is right around the corner if you need help. everything was helpful.
28. The combination works perfectly for me. I enjoy doing work online but I definitely like face to face interaction with a professor.
29. Being able to work on the writing assignment in class was very helpful.  Having the professor there to ask question or if we needed guidance was a great help.
30. Strong is we get to learn on our own and come back to review with the professor.
31. i like the fact that we can work on assignments during class while the teacher is there
32. Having the class be flipped made us relate to you more, helped us understand how much you're really just trying to help us understand literature and not just forcing it down our throats.

Technology-enabled learning: An active, flipped classroom benefits from having networked computers. I'm not prepared to say that they are absolutely necessary. I believe that one could flip a writing class without technology, but it simply wouldn't be as elegant—at least not the way I teach writing.

1. WAY BETTER! I like this way better because it gives you a chance to stay on top of your work especially if a student does not have their own computer.
2. Perfect.  This was the first time I have seen the flipped class and I love it.  maybe because I like computers and have horrible handwriting so the computer takes care of all the worst parts of my writing and puts them on a level playing field with everyone else.  It even fixes my bad spelling!
3. This was my first time being in a flipped classroom.  I enjoyed this method very much, and prefer teaching to be this way!  In other classes, when teachers are standing up there lecturing the whole time I tend to daydream.  I lose focus very easily.  With the flipped classroom, we are constantly on computers.  Technology is everything now-a-days.  When I would get done with my work for this class I could move on to any other work for other classes.  The flipped class allowed us to work independently, which I loved.
4. The combination works perfectly for me. I enjoy doing work online but I definitely like face to face interaction with a professor. 
5. this class was new and interesting and fun because of everything on the computer as I said before I loved everything but the blog posts.

Engaged learning: An active, flipped writing class is a more engaging class, even enjoyable. It provides way more opportunities for students to connect to colleagues, content, and instructors, and as Terry Anderson's 2003 study Getting the Mix Right Again shows, students who connect persist and succeed. Anderson says it better:

Deep and meaningful formal learning is supported as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student–teacher; student-student; student-content) is at a high level. The other two may be offered at minimal levels, or even eliminated, without degrading the educational experience. High levels of more than one of these three modes will likely provide a more satisfying educational experience, though these experiences may not be as cost or time effective as less interactive learning sequences.

My students say it this way:

1. I really really like the idea that you have a flipped class. I also like how you give us the opportunity to work on our assignments in class. This would have been a very boring class if you just talked or lectured the whole class. Thank you for not doing that.
2. It was more interesting, not reading from a book all day and getting lectured from our teacher.
3. It made the class a lot easier. I enjoyed the privilege of doing homework in the classroom.
4. If all my classrooms could be like this, i would absolutely love it. i feel like i learn more this way, [than] sitting in a class listening to a teacher talk for almost two hours. Flipped classroom definitely helps keep me concentrated and motivated to do my work.
5. Big fan of flipped class. It keeps everybody energized and interested.
6. I love the flipped classroom it's very interesting. You do all the work at home and when you come back to class bring all the questions you need answered.
7. The flipped class keeps the class interesting I liked it a lot.  The idea of being able to work and ask the instructor questions the whole time while in class was great.
8. When i first started i did not like flipped class but as it went on i learned to enjoy it and realize that i learn more in that type of class setting and it much better professor to student communication
9. I did everything at home and when I came to class I could ask the Professor anything I did [not] understand. I loved the flipped class. I worked well with me and it wasn't so stressful like my other classes. There was nothing weak about the flipped class.
10. The flipped class worked for me. It was a way for me to read and learn on my own and then come to class and have any issues addressed. Nowadays, the traditional way professors are teaching tends to get monotonous and boring.
11. Flipped classroom is a definitely keep,its actually fun and i don't get slammed when it come to homework. Its a great way of getting work done and if you need help i can always go right to the teacher for help.

Prepared learning: As I've already mentioned in a previous post, a flipped class seems to prepare students for work better than a traditional class.

1. Strong point of the flipped classroom allowed the students to be free and come to class prepared with questions. It also allowed us students to be ready for what the professor had in store.
2. How we could learn and read things at home, and anything we needed helped with or was confused about, we could just come the next class and ask. Having the flipped classroom help students to do work at home, so they won't be lost the next class.
3. It helps have you ready and engaged in discussing the information you already saw at home and bringing it into the classroom. You were never lost before you walked into class, you always knew what was going to be discussed in class.

Flexible learning: A flipped class appears to be more flexible and adaptive to student needs and schedules.

1. Flipped class should be in all classes. It was extremely helpful to do lectures at home and write down questions that I could ask the teacher next class. It also was helpful to have more of the professor's time in class to have more one on one with the students rather than waiting for class to be over or not having time to meet up with them. It was also great for the students that did not have questions it would not hold them up and their work would get done.
2. keep the flipped class because it give us more time in class to understand the materials and ask question.
3. I think this is great because often people don't have time to work on their assignments out of class due to different issues. This flipped class strategy give us a chance to finish and do our best on our assignments. We are also able to get extra help from professor Hamon in class when we needed. 
4. The flipped class thing worked for me. I was able to do "in class" assignments on my own time. I liked it because instead of being lectured in class, we were able to get assistance on our documents. 
5. The flipped class allows for more learning with the professor compared to others. It allows us to accomplish more work and feel more connected to everyone. 
6. Flipped classroom is a definitely keep,its actually fun and i don't get slammed when it come to homework. Its a great way of getting work done and if you need help i can always go right to the teacher for help.

As I hinted earlier, many seem to think that moving their lectures online is the major part flipping their classes. This is wrong. The biggest challenge is rethinking your classroom. Just what will you do with all those students when you quit talking and they start learning?

The Impact of Flipped Classes on Student Workloads

The benefit most mentioned by my students has been about how the flipped class makes their workloads and work processes easier, more manageable, and more controllable. Of 292 responses, 65 (22.3%) indicated some benefit to their workloads. Many students claimed that the flipped class was easier, once they got used to it. I have to tease out what my students mean by easier, as they often write easier or easy without explaining with any detail what they mean by easier ("It helps us understand better, it's easier."). The comments below suggest the many ways that the flipped classroom makes for an easier workload.

First and foremost, students seem to like the flexibility and control of doing the lectures at home when their schedules allow. Indeed, one of the big issues for these students seems to be the sense of empowerment they develop as they assume more control of their time and space. A few students even noted that the flipped class helped them deal with procrastination. To my mind, student empowerment is one of the strongest benefits to come out of the flipped classroom, and it is not something that I anticipated. However, I will seek ways to cultivate student empowerment through the flipped class, now that I know it is possible, even likely. My students have been empowered despite the absence of any intention on my part. I like that, and it builds my faith in the flipped model. As the following comments suggest, owning your own time is very important to students, and the flipped classroom provides this for many students:

• The fact that I was able to do my work on my own time and on my own pace, it made it much easier for me. It was really something interesting... Much worth the experience. Keep it .. everybody else that's going to take this class in the near future deserves to experience this.
• At first I was not in favor of how this class worked but after the second week I found it to be very interesting and unique. This was due to me taking online courses and I could plan my assignments out by knowing when things were due by having the wiki and also by being able to complete assignments such as blogs and writing documents without having to be in the classroom especially when I had to miss class for various reasons. I think the strong point about a flipped class is that it gives you the option to work on class assignments and know what is due without having to attend class. Also if you had to miss class for any reason you could still stay on top of your assignments and not really miss anything done in class that day.
• I work well in school and out of school. I liked that we were able to complete our assignments on our own and not just in the classroom with limited time.
• I thought is was good becuause for all of us busy people we can assess that at home
• The combination is great, it allows a lot more flexibility to get work done for class.
• This is a great idea. My first time with a flipped class. I was a little nervous at first because I was afraid to write in front of people. But, as class went on I found not only did this teach you more but...you had to get the work done.  I learned from others and it took the procrastination out of me.  Keep it this way.
• Different techniques are useful. I am not too knowlegable of the flipped class but to what was expalined it sounds like a good interaction activity and a test to see who is really becoming familliar with the material in class, this assignment will challenge others to stay on top of their classs duties.
• i absolutely love flipped classes because you dont have all the stress of going home and procrastinating with your work wwhich usually leads to forgetting about it... but you still have the assessments and blogs to keep your ming going.
• helps us do our homework, especially is help is needed and not understanding what we had to do. kept the class ahead with our assignments and what we had to do for that next week
• I appreciated being able to manage my own time. When I completed assignments, I was able to excuse myself from the classroom. As I shared with you in the past, I have a hard time concentrating in a noisy environment. The flipped classroom afforded me the freedom to choose my own space for assignments, and I grew to appreciate that.
• The flipped class was different for me. But It hink it helped with my busy schedule. 
• As mentioned before, the technology used in the flipped class is new to me but I think it is useful. With our busy schedule flipped classes can be a great tool
• Time management is huge when attending school and any extra time to do work is needed. The flipped class technique gives students a chance to ask questions and receive direct assistance when doing their assignment. Often students find themselves lost at home trying to figure out the topic and staying focused. With the flipped class technique, homewrok can be done at the best time possible.
• Everything was good about the flipped classroom. It gave me ample time to work on my papers and ask questions when I had to
• The flipped classroom helped me to be proactive.
• Flipped Classroom was absolutely convinient for me. It's is a great way to participate in the class when technically you're not in the classroom. It allows you to go online and do the work from your home while the teacher is helping you at the same time. This is great for when a person's ill or for any reason couldn't make it to class. 
• Flipped class was convenient because it enabled students to participate and work together even when outside of class room, the downside is everybody working together at about the same time.
• In the beginning flip classes were different and a little confusing but once I got the hang of it , it has become a good way of doing my work.
• Fliped classes were new to me but I liked the way they worked. They allow some flexibility for students.
• Flipped classes worked well for me because it was very convient with being a single mother, and helped me alot throughout the semester.
• The strong part about the flip class is it teaches what it is and how it works. Also it can give you a little more time to complete assignments. This gets you ready for online classes if you have never taking one cause it is kind of the same type of class. The weak part is if you have other classes and online classes, it is hard because there are so many deadlines to remember. You can easily miss an asignment. If you have a classes on monday and return on wednsday you kind of know that your assignments are due those days, where in a flip class, you never get a break becaus even thou classes are monday your assgnment maybe due tuesday by midnight along with other class or online asignments. This makes it hard especially if you have evening jobs, kids and outside obligations.
• This was by far my best  class this term.  I was able to work at my own pace and get things done and out of the way.  Also, I learned some very helpful strategies from this class.
• I preferred using the flipped class method because it gives you the option of completing assignments on your own schedule, before the due date. You are also able to communicate with your classmates and professors via the web if you have any questions or concerns about an assignment.
• I think flipped classrooms should stay because it allowed students to keep in contact even when they were not in the classroom. It also allowed them to keep up with the classwork and assignments.
• I think i would keep it. Because it is terrific, very convenient and helpful. I love it. I wish all teachers in this institution should Flipped their classes.
• flipped class is great, it works well for me because i can do it at  my pace, and videos along with information are provided for me to watch/read on my own time. not feeling pressured by doing everything quickly as the days progress in class.

My students seem to like learning in their own spaces almost as much as they like learning in their own time. My students like being able to do their work when and where they want, and the flipped classroom provides them more control over their time and space than the traditional class does. I will have to look more closely at why this is so, but for now I accept that it is.

• The easy way to do the class,assesment and papers in my house listening music.
• It is much easier to do your work at home, on your own time without any distractions.
• I love the Flipped class is easy and [convenient] and you learn at the same time while out class sessions,the weak part i did not have any.
• i felt strong about this because its easier to learn at home and then when i come back to class we go over it and it helps me learn even more better. so i have a strong feeling that you should keep the "flipped class".
• At first I didn't like it but now I ike it better because it gave me time to do and understand at home.
• It was confusing in the beginning but I adjusted to it when I knew what was expected of me.  Overall this was a different learning experience but taught me how to keep up with writing.  I enjoyed doing our lessons at home and having more time to ask questions in the classroom.  This worked for me.
• I loved the lectures and assingments being at home.  When you come to class and have questions while you are writing the subject matter expert was right there.  Keep the flipped class.
• Flipped classroom was ok for me because I was able to work on my work at home whenever I needed to as long as I had it completed when you wanted it done.
• we can ask questions and do a work at home
• I did everything at home and when I came to class I could ask the Professor anything I did ot understand. I loved the flipped class. I worked well with me and it wasn't so stressful like my other classes. There was nothing weak about the flipped class.
• The great thing about flipped classroom was that you can get most of the work done at home and dont have to rush in class to do so. When you come to class, everything is done or the majority is done. Atleast a rough draft. the weak part about it is that the professor isnt there to help you at home like being in class, he's always there when you need him/her. 
• Flip class is the best thing you ever created...one of my most favorite about this class.. the reason i say that is because it takes pressure of classmate if they have homework at home to do they wont have to worry about other doing homework for this class.

Those students who value ownership of their time and space also seem to value showing up to class prepared and ready to do the class work. I've read many complaints in the professional literature about how lazy students are and how often they come to class ill-prepared. Perhaps this is the case in traditional classrooms, but the flipped class seems to have some beneficial impact on student preparation. Again, this is something that I will have to study more closely in the future to see if I can tease out just why the flipped class has this effect, but for the moment, I'm satisfied that it does.

• I liked the flipped class. It was nice to complete the assignemnts and go into class and talk about what we read on our own. Again, in the begining it was a littl confussing. But, once you catch on, it is a good idea.
• I would keep the flipped classroom the same. I didn't find anything strong or weak it just made life a little easier because you knew what to expect once you arrived to class.
• I wish that I had this flipped class before I took the first class ever online. My first online class experience was horrible but in this class it was easier for me to manage my work load in the class. I really do not even know why we even needed the textbook. The professor covered everything we needed to know and then some.
• i felt strong about this because its easier to learn at home and then when i come back to class we go over it and it helps me learn even more better. so i have a strong feeling that you should keep the "flipped class".
• I liked that we were responsible for doing the reading outside of class, it's too hard to wait for everyone in class, you were expected to show up prepared. I liked that you were here to help while we were writing as well. It was a little discouraging that the assignment due dates changed. For those of us who were always prepared it's discouraging to stress to get the work done on time and not be rewarding, especially when others in the class got a week more than I did without loosing any points for being late.
• the flipped classrooms are great because we intake the new teachings on our level of comfort and then get to come into class and elaborate and question what we dont understand. The only thing i think is a little weak is the interaction between teacher and students. For example, i wish that the subject that was difficult for most of the students be elaborated more for better understandment , compared to grouping the students that are questioning the task at hand and losing interest on what they are suppose to learn. There is nothing wrong with a little more lecturing to students for a better understandment of a new subject compared to student to student interaction. 
• Flipped class should be in all classes. It was extremely helpful to do lectures at home and write down questions that I could ask the teacher next class. It also was helpful to have more of the profesors time in class to have more one on one with the students rather then waiting for class to be over or not having time to meet up with them. It was also great for the students that did not have questions it would not hold them up and their work would get done.
• It let us understand the material before class. Take our tim ewith it e-mail teacher with questions and then come to class to go over any remainder questions. It allowed for more in class teacher time. 
• flipped classes is good because we do the work and then we come to class to discuss it . and prof hamon helps us alot with our papers.

Some students appreciate the ease and benefit of doing much of their work in the classroom, especially where they can get help from colleagues and instructor. They like doing the homework in the classroom, and in my writing classes, homework consists mostly of writing blog posts, annotated bibliographies, and formal papers, and evaluating writing.

• It made the class a lot easier. I enjoyed the privilege of doing homework in the classroom.
• We accomplished more work in class without a lecture.
• It was easier getting work done in class instead of outside of class
• This was the first time I've ever had a teacher use this structure. I found it great. The videos were short which made them easier to remember. Additionally I was able to do much of my work in class, which gave me more time to study for other more difficult classes. This was great. 
• STRONG: because sometime at home you dont find the time to do your work, so the fact that you get the chance to do it in school is awesome, and also the teacher is right around the corner if you need help. everything was helpful.
• Being able to work on the writing assignment in class was very helpful.  Having the professor there to ask question or if we needed guidance was a great help.
• Although Professor Hamon was present, available to be of assistance and willing to assist at all times, relating to another student was very beneficial. The video lectures gave us the main points of the lessons and working by way of computer was a great learning tool. The only way that this type of class setting could or would be difficult to the students in the beginning is, if they are not computer literate. However by the end of the course they will be.

For some students, the flipped class eased the workload outside of class:

• It kept me not worrying about having to do too much work out side of the classroom and concentrated on what really mattered
• I liked the flipped class, because it allowed to have more time doing my homework or work.  I like doing things in class. 
• I think that the flipped class is one of the best classes that I have ever taken.  All the work is done in the class and there is very little work that has to be done out of class.  Just some reading and maybe the assessments.

For some, the flipped class eased the workload both in and outside of class:

• Worked good for this class, but wasnt something that needed a serious amount of effort so it wasnt overwhelming trying to figure something out.
• This flip class worked great for me because i never have a big homework project to do besides papers that way i can focus on my other classes and also get what i need done for english..

Finally, some students attributed the ease of the flipped classroom to our extensive use of technology. They seem to find enhanced productivity in using computers and networks, which I find encouraging. It's about time that computers started easing our workloads instead of increasing them.

• i liked the flipped class.  not so much as i didnt have to write anything down on paper.  this was good to be able to save paper.  All the work that i had to do was on the computer.  made it very easy to do.  the work was also to do at home
• I can't really say anything didn't work for me in regards to the flipped class. It actually made everything easier for me whether it was correcting essays or just learning the material. Its more organized, enjoyable, and modern than other classes. We actually benefited from the technology that is all around us and I'm grateful we used tech to its full potential.
• I think it took a bit to get used to it but I liked doing everything online, make for easy access, and I like keeping up/staying intune with technology and this made me feel like I was.

As I consider the comments my students have made, I'm impressed that they picked up most on the benefits to their own student workloads and processes. I did not anticipate this effect, but I'm gratified to find so much evidence for it. Of course, it suggests more research for me. I need to figure out why the flipped class has this benefit for students, and then I need to figure out how to enhance it. If I could get this much benefit for students without even trying, then perhaps I can get more with just a bit of effort. Maybe?

Positives about the Flipped Class

I've devoted the past few posts to covering the issues that a minority of students have had with my flipped classes. By far, however, most of my students (250/292, 85.6%) have advised me to keep the flipped classroom as it is. If I could identify these students, I might think that they were merely trying to impress me to improve their grade; however, my assessments are anonymous, so I have some faith that  my students are providing an honest assessment of their experience with the flipped composition class.

I have grouped their responses into the following categories:

• In-class benefits (77/292, 26.4%)
• Workload benefits (65/292, 22.3%)
• Prefer flipped class (36/292, 12.3%)
• Flipped class is innovative (34/292, 11.6%)
• Scaffolding issues (28/292, 9.6%)
• Technology benefits (24/292, 8.2%)
• Learning benefits (21/292, 7.2%)
• Workload issues (16/292, 6.9%)
• Benefits in connections to peers (16/292 6.9%)
• Like the online lectures (14/292, 4.8%)
• Student centered (11/292, 3.8%)
• The flip classroom is enjoyable (11/292, 3.8%)

I will explore these benefits of the flipped classroom over the next few blog posts.