Blended Learning and the
Flipped Classroom
Birgit Deir
Blended Learning:
What is it?
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Portion of classroom instruction is replaced by online
instruction
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One classroom session replaced every other week
Students only come to class two weekends out of the
semester
Everything in between
Class is online, lab is on campus (Nazareth College Anatomy
and Physiology)
Has been in existence some time
Also known as hybrid learning
Blended Learning:
Topic at …

Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Conference
2013 at Tufts
“Blended Learning in the Foreign Language and Literature
Classroom”
http://nemla.org/convention/2013/friday_pm.html#track9.16
“World Campus: Innovation in Hybrid Online Language Course
Development”
http://nemla.org/convention/2013/saturday_am.html#track11.
18

Livemocha Webinar February 27, 2013
“Best Practices for Blended Learning in Language Classrooms”
Flipped Classroom:
What is it?

Lectures are placed online
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Professor has lecture video-recorded
Professor captures computer screen with Camtasia
Professor uses Powerpoints
Professor has students watch course material tutorials
Students study grammar and vocabulary before they
come to class
Class time is used for interactive assignments,
workbook exercises, and communicative activities
Can be combined with blended learning
Flipped Classroom:
Topic at …

North East Association for Language Learning
Technology (NEALLT) Conference 2013 at Cornell
“Flipped Classrooms”
http://www.neallt.org/neallt2013/index.html

NeMLA Conference 2013 at Tufts
“‘Flipping the classroom’: Using Technology to Free Vital Class
Time”
http://nemla.org/convention/2013/sunday.html#track17.06

McGraw-Hill Higher Ed Webinar March 28, 2013
“Using the Flipped Classroom Model to Increase Student
Engagement and Results”
Instructional Choices
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Lecture first
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Professor introduces new material in class
Students do textbook exercises/handouts in class
Students do workbook/lab manual exercises or practice
assignments as homework
Read ahead
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Students read new material at home, may complete select
textbook exercises before class
Professor lectures and students practice textbook
exercises/handouts in class
Students do workbook/lab manual exercises or practice
assignments as homework
Instruction Choices Continued
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Flip the Classroom
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Students are introduced to new material in self-study
outside the classroom
Students practice new grammatical concepts and vocabulary
outside the classroom
Professor clarifies/answers questions regarding concepts in
the classroom
Students spend classroom time on interactive exercises from
textbook and workbook/lab manual, on communicative
assignments like role plays, etc.
Course Framework
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10 weeks of instruction with 4 sessions per week
2 of 4 weekly sessions online
5 introductory German chapters (chapters 6-10 of
15), about 28 textbook pages per chapter
Chapter quizzes every 2 weeks
Chapter topics are German universities, travel, living
in the city, environment, Germany in the 20th century
Grammar concepts include present perfect and
simple past tenses, dative and genitive cases,
coordinating and subordinating conjunctions,
attributive endings, miscellaneous
Recommended Progression
of Learning
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Introduce new concepts
Practice new grammar and vocabulary in structured
exercises
Practice grammar and vocabulary in interactive
exercises with free responses
Use new concepts in unscripted, communicative
exercises
Course Material: Neue Horizonte
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Hardcover textbook
Paperback workbook/lab manual
Online resources—some via purchased access card
http://college.cengage.com/languages/german/dollenmayer/neu
e_horizonte/7e/student_home.html
 Audio for textbook
 Audio flashcards
 Audio for lab manual
 Video story on culture
 Practice tests
Grading Components
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20% attendance/participation
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15% homework
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Oral grammar drills, worksheet to ensure completion
5% writing exercises
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Mostly workbook/lab manual
10% speaking exercises
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3 allowed absences; each additional absence reduces
attendance/participation grade by 5%
Online assignments count as online attendance
Recycled as oral presentations for chapter quizzes
50% quizzes (including final)
Organizational Method
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Mycourses
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Components per chapter
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Desire to learn like Moodle
Coursebuilder with all lectures, assignments, handouts, etc.
Lesson Outline (with links to publisher’s online material)
Speaking Exercises (assignment sheet)
Vocabulary Quiz (10 chapter quiz words)
Writing Sample Dropbox
Powerpoints
Worksheets
Online gradebook
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Students always knew their expected final grade
Online Sessions and
Homework
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Powerpoints
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Worksheets
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Lectures on grammar
Synchronized with textbook in language and content
For practicing content of Powerpoints
With answer keys for self-correcting
Lab Manual
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Textbook dialogues with corresponding questions
Oral grammar drills with matching worksheet
Dictation
Online Sessions and
Homework Continued
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Publisher’s Online Practice Tools
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Vocabulary Quiz
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Flashcards with audio
Practice Tests
Cultural video with worksheet
Ten new vocabulary words from each quiz
Writing Sample
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Based on material covered in chapter
Recycled as oral presentation for each quiz
Classroom Sessions
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Take attendance
Check and correct homework with answer key or
sometimes as class exercise
Briefly summarize lecture
Practice all concepts with textbook exercises
Sometimes introduce and practice minor topics in
class
Have students give oral presentations based on
writing samples
Observations
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Students understood that not coming to class meant
they had more work outside the classroom
Students took responsibility for self-directed learning
Students did not complain about work load
When given the choice of having quizzes during class
time or outside the classroom, they unanimously
chose the additional meeting time
Students valued time in classroom
Students were not confused about assignments
“I always knew what to do.”
Reflections
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Would teach a blended class with flipped classroom
again—effective combination
Best course material: online workbook/lab manual,
physical textbook and access to an online textbook
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Would eliminate lengthy checking of homework
Would use freed-up class time for free-response oral
assignments
Have answer key to textbook exercises—”traditional”
students ask for it
Think students would like more class time
Potential for increasing student enrollment