Flipped Learning Part 2 - Assessing the Learning from Flipped Learning
Flipping without flopping part 2
Relevant for A-Level
After deciding that I would implement flipped learning and redesign my entire A-Level teaching in order to do so, I considered very carefully how I would need to structure lessons. I didn't want to have to mark what students had done outside of class to prepare for the lessons, but I needed to know what they had and hadn't grasped before we moved on to the higher-level skills. Initially, I wasn't really sure how to approach this, but eventually I started to think about flipped learning as an extension of lessons. If this is the case, how do I normally assess learning in lessons? Surely then, shouldn't I be able to use the same strategies for assessing learning from flipped learning?It turns out that the answer to this is a resounding yes. I realised that I needed to modify each strategy to ensure that I more deeply assess what all students have learned, and that different strategies are required to assess the learning of different types of content, but I could essentially use the same ones. There are so many formative assesssment strategies that can be used to assess learning effectively. Below I have selected four that I use regularly and have found to be particularly effective for assessing learning from flipped learning.
Strategy 1 - Articulate
Works best for assessing: knowledge of key terms.
The basics of the strategy:
In pairs, students are given a pack of cards with a key term from the prep work written on each one. They shuffle the cards and divide them between themselves. Each student takes it in turns to describe the key term without using the words on the card, just like the board game. The benefit of this strategy is that I have plenty of time to circulate and monitor students' conversations and pick up on any misconceptions. Twists to make it more effective:
To signify the level of challenge for each key term, I put a B (bronze), S (silver) or G (gold) in the bottom right hand corner of each card (see above). When dividing the cards, students will often choose who should have each level of challenge carefully so that both can contribute to the game effectively.
To increase the challenge, change the game to Taboo - on each card, write a list of words underneath each key term that students are not allowed to use in their descriptions. This can then be self-differentiated. Students can either use the words underneath to support them in creating a definition, or they can try to create descriptions without using one or more of the 'taboo' words.
At the end of the game, I get students to work together to sort the cards into two piles - key terms they are happy with, and key terms they would like some clarification on. The key terms from the second pile are then collated on the board, and hands-down questioning is used to get students to define these key terms. Together, we then re-write definitions that they are happy with into their notes before proceeding with the rest of the lesson.
Strategy 2 - Bingo
Works best for assessing: knowledge of key terms.
The basics of the strategy:
On the board, students are given a list of key terms from the prep work. They use a whiteboard to create a bingo card of 6 boxes and choose a key term from the board to go into each box. I then read out a definition of one of the key terms on the board, and if the student has it on their 'bingo card', they cross it off. Standing at the back of the room is great in this game as you can see whether students are crossing off the correct answers, and which key terms they have selected. The aim of the game is to be the first one to cross off all 6 answers on their board, and shout 'bingo.'
Twists to make it more effective:
To ensure that students are challenging themselves rather than choosing all of the simplest terms, I colour code the key terms that I put onto the board as bronze, silver and gold (see below). I then make it clear that one of the rules of the game is that everyone must choose at least two silver and one gold key term as part of their 6 choices. To encourage students to choose more of the challenging key terms, I will often bias the order of the key terms so that more of the silver and gold ones are defined earlier in the game.
Please note that the example above was for a GCSE lesson.
Strategy 3 - True/false with correction/extension
Works best for assessing: knowledge and evaluation.
The basics of the strategy:
Students are given a sheet which has a number of statements about the prep work content on it (see right). I often use this one for key studies or theories as it is possible to assess what students have learned in detail. Students' task is to determine whether each statement is true or false and circle the appropriate letter to indicate their answer.To increase the challenge, I then get students to go back to each statement. For every statement that they have determined is false, I get them to use the box underneath to write a correction so that the sheet ends up being full of facts. Additionally, for every statement that they have determined is true, I get them to imagine that they've got enough for a 1 mark answer and they need to add something extra to earn a 2nd mark. This encourages them to think about how they could use examples or explain ideas to earn extra marks.
Twists to make it more effective:
In the feedback, give all students a whiteboard to write 'true' on one side and 'false' on the other. Students can then all vote for their answers to each statement so that whole class learning can be assessed, and hands-down questioning can then be used to challenge students to correct or extend the statements.
Please note that I can't claim credit for designing this activity; I'm sure I read about it somewhere and then modified it for my own use.
Strategy 4 - Discussion questions
Works best for assessing: knowledge and evaluation (but can be modified for application too).
The basics of the strategy:
Twists to make it more effective:
Hands-down questioning is key here - I carefully select students to feed back the answers to different questions based on my knowledge of their progress over time. Students can then be selected to build on the answers of the previous student using ACE feedback (see right). Having implemented flipped learning for over a year now, I would highly recommend it. Every week I can judge students' understanding of the content they should have covered, and use a small amount of lesson time to recap any ideas that they are still unsure of before moving onto the higher-level skills. Students really enjoy the games that they play, and are keen to have the resources emailed to them so that they can use them for revision (e.g. the articulate cards are often printed and transformed into flashcards, and the discussion questions are printed and cut out to be transformed too). I've also found that flipped learning really promotes trust between myself and the students. They feel confident enough to say when there is a concept that they aren't entirely happy with, and I can use other students in the group to explain these to challenge them too. As mentioned in my last post, my exam results were just as good last year as they were previously, and students' knowledge was still far above the national averages across topics. So it appears to be an effective strategy on many levels, and one I will definitely be sticking with.
If you are keen to give flipped learning a go, or would appreciate having a greater bank of formative assessment strategies to fall back on, comment on here or on Facebook to let me know that you want me to cover more of these strategies in my next post.
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