openflip Archives - OpenFlip Spring 2016

The Flipped Classroom and Personal Learning Networks

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | July 2, 2016 |

My final post for #openflip Spring 2016 includes discussing the fourth facet of a flipped classroom: a personal learning network (PLN).

Professional learning is to become self-aware of one´s personal learning network in how it contributes to a particular experience. A PLN is having the self-knowledge of how learning spaces, groups and networks, and all forms of learning come together at any particular moment and how they adopt and adapt over time. A PLN is about understanding ideas (beliefs, opinions, thoughts, etc.), materials (objects, technologies, etc.), and human relationships (uni/bidirectional communication, strong and weak ties, etc.) not as isolated notions, but as associations that are influenced by each other. In a flipped classroom scenario, a learning network can be viewed at any level: individual, pairs, small groups, whole class, domains, institution, district, community, global, etc., but what makes a PLN personal is that the power and prestige (from a network and not a sociological perspective) are revealed through the understanding of how all ideational, material, and human nodes connect and surround the individual (e.g., student, teacher, etc.). Thus, the individual remains the unit of analysis but cannot be taken out of context. Understanding a PLN (i.e., a learning network at the individual level) becomes a prerequisite for understanding a learning network at the group level, for instance. Understanding a learning network at the classroom network is to understand the learning networks of various groups, pairs, and individuals, etc. Within the context of formal education, an educator has a responsibility in bringing about awareness of student PLNs as well as one´s own PLN. An expert learner is one who has a high level of self-awareness of a purposeful PLN at any given time and how it adopts and adapts over time – a PLN is at the heart of understanding what a flipped classroom is; how it is employed; and how effective, efficient, and engaging it can be for both learner and educator. In order to become adept, one needs to adopt and adapt a PLN.

The Flipped Classroom and Personal Learning Networks

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | July 2, 2016 |

My final post for #openflip Spring 2016 includes discussing the fourth facet of a flipped classroom: a personal learning network (PLN).

Professional learning is to become self-aware of one´s personal learning network in how it contributes to a particular experience. A PLN is having the self-knowledge of how learning spaces, groups and networks, and all forms of learning come together at any particular moment and how they adopt and adapt over time. A PLN is about understanding ideas (beliefs, opinions, thoughts, etc.), materials (objects, technologies, etc.), and human relationships (uni/bidirectional communication, strong and weak ties, etc.) not as isolated notions, but as associations that are influenced by each other. In a flipped classroom scenario, a learning network can be viewed at any level: individual, pairs, small groups, whole class, domains, institution, district, community, global, etc., but what makes a PLN personal is that the power and prestige (from a network and not a sociological perspective) are revealed through the understanding of how all ideational, material, and human nodes connect and surround the individual (e.g., student, teacher, etc.). Thus, the individual remains the unit of analysis but cannot be taken out of context. Understanding a PLN (i.e., a learning network at the individual level) becomes a prerequisite for understanding a learning network at the group level, for instance. Understanding a learning network at the classroom network is to understand the learning networks of various groups, pairs, and individuals, etc. Within the context of formal education, an educator has a responsibility in bringing about awareness of student PLNs as well as one´s own PLN. An expert learner is one who has a high level of self-awareness of a purposeful PLN at any given time and how it adopts and adapts over time – a PLN is at the heart of understanding what a flipped classroom is; how it is employed; and how effective, efficient, and engaging it can be for both learner and educator. In order to become adept, one needs to adopt and adapt a PLN.

Flipped Classroom: Intentional vs. Incidental Learning

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 23, 2016 |

After watching OpenFlip Spring 2016 Week Three (noon edition) (#openflip, #flipclass), I quickly began feeling lost at the notion of “intentional content” and it´s relevance in the flipped classroom. I actually did not disagree with anything mentioned in the video, except when the term intentional content was mentioned, which would lead to a “what are we talking about” moment. The group discussion quickly forced me to revisit what others said about the third pillar of the flipped classroom (internet search), and then try to relate it to what Ken and others were discussing today…and I think I have it. Just for the record, my discussion about intentional learning vs. incidental learning was recorded yesterday, before having listened to today’s talk. Now, let´s unpack the term, intentional content.

Several definitions around the notion of intentional content seem possible.

Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available outside of class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available outside of class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent non-syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available in class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available in class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent non-syllabus aligned action.
Student-created content made available outside of class that is a result of syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available inside of class that is a result of syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available outside of class that is a result of non-syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available inside of class that is a result of non-syllabus-aligned action.

At first glance, one might argue that intentional content is only that which is found outside the classroom. But in practice, I do not think it is a stretch to image predetermined content beginning the learning process outside of class, then to a certain degree subsequently being part of an educative experience in class. Even in the case of student-created content, if the teacher permits such content to be produced, then there is still a level of intentionality to the process. Thus, the eight definitions above are all possible when considering what is intentional content, intentional on the part of the educator and not the curriculum. For this reason, the third pillar (intentional content), seems arbitrary.

In my wiki, I modified the third pillar to my own third facet of the flipped classroom: intentional and incidental learning.

In the eight definitions above, definitions 1, 3, 5, and 6 relate more to intentional learning while definitions 2, 4, 7, and 8 relate more to incidental learning. Additionally, definitions 1-4 could also include incidental or emergent content as well (as opposed to predetermined content) which brings another level of complexity to the mix – a complexity that I think is also very relevant to the flipped classroom.

Changing from intentional content to intentional/incidental learning puts more focus on learning by doing and is more pertinent to the idea of flipped the classroom. Content as input is secondary since 1) the degree to which it enables action highly depends on the individual learner and the particular context and 2) the enabled action really depends on whether an educator can bring both intentional and incidental learning together to meet both curricular and individual goals; when it comes to content creation, the action (intentional/incidental learning) is typically more relevant than any preconceived notion of student-created content. If student-created content is equally or more important than the learning process, I would question whether or not this falls within the four facets (or pillars) of a flipped classroom.

Flipped Classroom: Intentional vs. Incidental Learning

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 23, 2016 |

After watching OpenFlip Spring 2016 Week Three (noon edition) (#openflip, #flipclass), I quickly began feeling lost at the notion of “intentional content” and it´s relevance in the flipped classroom. I actually did not disagree with anything mentioned in the video, except when the term intentional content was mentioned, which would lead to a “what are we talking about” moment. The group discussion quickly forced me to revisit what others said about the third pillar of the flipped classroom (internet search), and then try to relate it to what Ken and others were discussing today…and I think I have it. Just for the record, my discussion about intentional learning vs. incidental learning was recorded yesterday, before having listened to today’s talk. Now, let´s unpack the term, intentional content.

Several definitions around the notion of intentional content seem possible.

Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available outside of class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available outside of class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent non-syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available in class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent syllabus-aligned action.
Predetermined (or prepackaged) content available in class that serves as input that enables learners to take subsequent non-syllabus aligned action.
Student-created content made available outside of class that is a result of syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available inside of class that is a result of syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available outside of class that is a result of non-syllabus-aligned action.
Student-created content made available inside of class that is a result of non-syllabus-aligned action.

At first glance, one might argue that intentional content is only that which is found outside the classroom. But in practice, I do not think it is a stretch to image predetermined content beginning the learning process outside of class, then to a certain degree subsequently being part of an educative experience in class. Even in the case of student-created content, if the teacher permits such content to be produced, then there is still a level of intentionality to the process. Thus, the eight definitions above are all possible when considering what is intentional content, intentional on the part of the educator and not the curriculum. For this reason, the third pillar (intentional content), seems arbitrary.

In my wiki, I modified the third pillar to my own third facet of the flipped classroom: intentional and incidental learning.

In the eight definitions above, definitions 1, 3, 5, and 6 relate more to intentional learning while definitions 2, 4, 7, and 8 relate more to incidental learning. Additionally, definitions 1-4 could also include incidental or emergent content as well (as opposed to predetermined content) which brings another level of complexity to the mix – a complexity that I think is also very relevant to the flipped classroom.

Changing from intentional content to intentional/incidental learning puts more focus on learning by doing and is more pertinent to the idea of flipped the classroom. Content as input is secondary since 1) the degree to which it enables action highly depends on the individual learner and the particular context and 2) the enabled action really depends on whether an educator can bring both intentional and incidental learning together to meet both curricular and individual goals; when it comes to content creation, the action (intentional/incidental learning) is typically more relevant than any preconceived notion of student-created content. If student-created content is equally or more important than the learning process, I would question whether or not this falls within the four facets (or pillars) of a flipped classroom.

Flipped Classroom: Learning Community

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 15, 2016 |

This week I share my current thoughts on creating a learning community within the flipped classroom (#openflip, #flipclass)…A learning community stems from both student collaboration and student cooperation. Student collaboration focuses more on the…

Flipped Classroom: Learning Community

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 15, 2016 |

This week I share my current thoughts on creating a learning community within the flipped classroom (#openflip, #flipclass)…A learning community stems from both student collaboration and student cooperation. Student collaboration focuses more on the…

Flexible Learning Spaces

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 15, 2016 |

As we enter week one of #OpenFlip Spring 2016, I thought I would create a wiki about my thoughts regarding the four pillars (I call them the four facets) of the flipped classroom. Under its current (rough) form, it offers a slight variation from …

Flexible Learning Spaces

By Benjamin L. Stewart, PhD | June 15, 2016 |

As we enter week one of #OpenFlip Spring 2016, I thought I would create a wiki about my thoughts regarding the four pillars (I call them the four facets) of the flipped classroom. Under its current (rough) form, it offers a slight variation from …