Motivating Students to Do the Pre-class Work

Lead Features June 19 / Special / June 19, 2019

 – Terra Graves –

In May, I gave you my answer to the “So what?” question I asked when looking at one of the research articles shared in Jon Bergmann’s Top 10. Here’s the link in case you missed it. The goal here is to provide K-12 teachers with a practical application for what the research has found. Otherwise, what is the point of research?

 

The Research

Gökçe Akçayıra and MuratAkçayır examined 73 Flipped Learning studies and found that the most cited advantage to Flipped Learning was increased student performance. They also note that the most challenging aspect of implementing Flipped Learning is getting students to do the pre-class work.

 

The Big Idea

Probably the biggest “fear” of new FL practitioners is that students won’t do the individual space assignments, thereby, negating their readiness for the group space work. FL is a big change for many students, too. I’ve heard from several educators that students are resistant to FL because it requires them to think more and work harder. Students have experienced so much passive learning in their school career that they learned how to be lazy and checked out. 

Just give me the worksheet.

I can keep one earbud in and look like I’m paying attention. 

If I select “C” as the answer, I have a good chance of getting it right.  

Is this why we went into education? Are these the habits that get our students college-ready? While it certainly requires less preparation to deliver a lesson traditionally, we know it’s not the best for our students. It is not the most effective way to learn, and it does not prepare our students for the autonomy and self-motivation they will need for success in higher education.

 

The Action

The Global Elements of Effective Flipped Learning (GEEFL) provides FL teachers and professors with proven best practices for getting students to do the pre-class work. Here are just a few of them with some ideas for motivating students:

 

 

The Resources

After reading this column, I hope that the “So what?” you might be feeling after reading research studies becomes a “Now what?” feeling, and that innovative research becomes a call to action. And when you hear that call to action, ask yourself, “Am I doing enough to motivate my students?”

Photo by Victoria Heath






Terra Graves
Terra Graves
Terra has been an educator for over twenty years. She is the Project Coordinator/Administrator for the 21st Century Learning Department in Washoe County School District, NV. Prior to this position, she taught elementary and middle school, supported novice teachers as a full-time mentor, served as an Ed Tech Specialist, and a Program Specialist in the 21st Century Learning Department. Terra is Flipped Learning 3.0 Level-II Certified and a founding member of the FLGI International Faculty.




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