Research Methods in Psychology: A case
study in flipping the classroom
Dr Carolyn Semmler
School of Psychology
carolyn.semmler@adelaide.edu.au
The context
• 400+ students
• Research Methods in
Psychology (semester 2
2012)
• "squashed" curriculum
mandated by APAC
• Poor intro from futureSACE
• Diverse interests/degrees
Teaching Philosophy
• People learn best by APPLYING concepts
• Pre-loading content allows times for GUIDED
learning
• Interaction with PEERS builds confidence and
promotes support structures for students
Resources
• Four enthusiastic academics
• A supportive Head of School
• Adobe Presenter and the Learning
Technologies Team
• Time (approx 3 months per module)
• Sessional teaching staff x 2
Course Structure
Preload on Content Lecture before class
Debrief on responses to activities
Hands-on Group-based Activity
"By the middle of this century, our
minds might have become
infantilised - characterised by short
attention spans, inability to
empathise and a shaky sense of
identity..."
• "Are social media and the
internet making young
people into uncaring
psychopaths with short
attention spans?"
?
Assessment
• Followed principle of APPLICATION over RECITATION
MCQ quizzes - 2 versions
Formative: feedback on each item
and could be completed as many
times as they liked
Summative: for points
Research Participation: not just for points but to illustrate
key concepts in design, ethics and measurement.
Positive Feedback from Students
It is fantastic that we do the
lectures at home first, and then
spend our on-campus time
engaged in meaningful, enjoyable
activities that apply concepts, and a
fun experience....Spread the word!
Group participation helped
me generate new ideas.
Talking/discussing in
lectures so we're not just
being given the answers all
the time is great...it is really
useful for practical stuff ->
not just in the classroom
learning but it really
challenges you to think!
Barriers to Participation
The big lectures are too big, I'm not
comfortable responding to such a big
group. Smaller tute groups would be
better...
The interactiveness was good however
the large class size make interaction "in
lecture difficult, because it is intimidating
Instead of practical exercises during the
lecture (give us) tutorials (more feedback
possible)...
Potential Solutions
• Real-time chat/discussion tool that is easily
displayed (votapedia is too broad).
• Edmodo :Easy, quick and responses could be
moderated, filtered and summarised for quick
feedback.
Barriers to Participation
I think the lecture and working time could have been
completed in an hour. My group went through the
questions quickly and found we had a lot of time to
spare...
Shorter activity time or more
activities to fill in the time....
Too much time for a few activities, left
us sitting around for more instructions
for ages...
Potential Solutions
• Provide extension activities
• Monitor completion more effectively so
feedback can be given when most groups are
done (need to balance this against the needs
of students working at a slower pace)
• Make activities more self directed, no need for
more instructions throughout the task
Active Learning Classrooms at
Magill University
http://www.mcgill.ca/tls/spaces/alc
Before you "flip"
• How will I address the concerns of students
who do not work well in groups?
• How will I pace the in-lecture activities to
ensure everyone is kept "on task" ?
• How will I link assessment processes to the
activities?
• What is the best physical space for the course
to be held in?
Lessons Learned
• Takes significantly more time to prepare and
deliver content in "flipped" mode
• Improvements are incremental and year-on year
• Need to be aware of the needs of socially
anxious students
Thanks!