Having your Say : Flipping Oral Skills into a Collaborative, Motivational, and Learner- Centered Course

“Revolutionizing Learning to Enhance Student Success.”

- Janene van Loon MA

- Law English Coordinator and Lecturer

- LL.B. programme

- International and European Law

University of Groningen

The Language Centre

Ideal Learning Environment?

Typical University Lecture Hall and Classroom Traditional Didactic Approach

Assumption: My job is to talk. Your role is to listen. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FINISH FIRST!

And if you don’t listen…..

Confucius • I hear and I forget. • I see and I remember. • I do and I understand.

Picture source:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_web/466866299

What is flipping the classroom?

Why an alternative method?

Discussion methods are superior to lectures in: • students’ retention of information at the end of the

course, • transfer of knowledge to new situations, • development of problem solving.

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: Bligh, D.A. 2000. Factors Affecting Student’s Attention. In: What’s the use of Lectures? San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass

Publishers, 2000. p.51.

Effect of intervention and discussion on attention decline during lecture. McKeachy, W.J. Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research

and Theories for College and University Teachers. (10th Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed.

– Preparation is done at home. – In-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.

“You see there is no ONE way to flip a class and in this lies one of the great strengths of this methodology.” Peer Instruction is, of course, our favorite way to flip the classroom. However, we are also big fans of Team-BasedLearning and Project-Based Learning.” Bergman and Sams, Authors Flip Your Classroom

Misconceptions of Flipping

Content coverage will be sacrificed

A fad that will go away Students staring at a computer in class

Students working without structure

Teachers replaced by videos

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: Ash, 2012; Baker, 2000; Bathker, 2013; Bennett et al., 2011; Bergman & Sams, 2008, Davies, 2013; Hertz, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Gajjar, 2013; Kahn, 2011; Lage et al., 2000; Spencer et al., 2011; Talbert, 2012; Tucker, 2012

Contrast with Traditional Model

Pre Class

Students prepare

for lecture

In Class

Instructor

lectures on

mostly pre

class

material

Post/Pre Class

Students

apply lecture thru

HW

prepare for next

class

Students receive

feedback on HW

a day or week

later (not in real

time)

Traditional

Pre Class

Students are held

accountable to

learn new course

material

In Class

Class debriefs

pre-class work

Instructor

provides real-

time feedback

on in-class

assignments

Post/Pre Class

Students

finish in-class

assignments

prepare for next

class

Flipped

FROM THE STUDENT’S perspective

Meaningful Hands-on Learning Better Learning Retention Material that is more

easily reviewable. Students better prepared

for Class

Skills Expanded in-Class

Several Ways to Learn the Material

Meaningful Peer-to-Peer Interaction

Meaningful Instructor Interaction

Instructor more aware of Student Abilities

Easier to Catch Up on Missed Material

Students able to Go at Own Pace

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: Ash, 2012; Baker, 2000; Bathker, 2013; Bennett et al., 2011; Bergman & Sams, 2008, Davies, 2013; Hertz, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Gajjar, 2013; Kahn, 2011; Lage et al., 2000; Spencer et al., 2011; Talbert, 2012; Tucker, 2012

FROM THE INSTRUCTOR’S perspective

Dimnished Lecture Prep Time

Greater Student-Friendly Instruction (pre class)

Able to develop better Application-type activities In

Class Reach Different Level Students at Same Time

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: Ash, 2012; Baker, 2000; Bathker, 2013; Bennett et al., 2011; Bergman & Sams, 2008, Davies, 2013; Hertz, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Gajjar, 2013; Kahn, 2011; Lage et al., 2000; Spencer et al., 2011; Talbert, 2012; Tucker, 2012

Changes…

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCE: Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Third Edition. John Biggs and Catherine Tang Open University Press, New York,

2007.

From To Coverage mode Assignment/Task Centred Mode What am I going to teach? What do I want the students to learn? I must cover … They must do… Teaching Tasks Learning Tasks Monologue Dialogue Teach content Engagement with content/class as assess for mastery dialogue/assess for deep learning

LL.B International Law Oral Skills

LL.B Programme • 1st year students • CEFR C1/C2, TOEFL 92, IELTS 6.5, CAE, CPE, IB or EB diploma, SAT,

IGCSE .

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Challenges • Limited development formal academic speaking • Diverse English levels

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Teacher Heavy

Students?

Picture source:

http://www.businessinsider.com/spoon-university-raises-2-million-to-take-on-the-food-network-with-an-army-

of-college-students-2015-7?international=true&r=US&IR=T

Motivation

Space Law Conference

• Team Work • Student Autonomy

Legal Discussion Topics • Team work

• Exam Preparation

Presentation • Filmed

• Reflection

Final Exam • Pairs Oral Exam

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Flipped Classroom

1. Preparation is done at home.

2. In-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.

Study-related Discussion Topics • Before class students prepare: International and European Law preparation

document containing video links and articles with preparatory questions

• In-class group or pair activities

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In-class Activities • Version 1 Assign 1-2 questions per group and ask them to discuss it for 5-10

minutes. Convene a plenary session in which each team will report back on the results of its discussion and answer questions and comments from the rest of the group. Repeat.

• Version 2 Assign teams. Each team will discuss 4 chosen questions. A plenary session will then focus on the main outcomes of these team discussions.

• Version 3 “Mini-debate/Triangle Debate” Prior to class, divide students into debate teams. Teams need: opening and concluding speaker. Debate cross-fire.

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Filmed Individual Persuasive Presentation • Topic related to International and European Law • 7 minute + 5 minute Q&A • Filmed • Student Self-reflection

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Class engagement - Presentation Feedback

• Teacher Feedback • Student audience feedback

– Delivery – Power Point – Question and Answer – Sign posting – Range – General Overview

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Conference

Space Law Conference • The conference agenda is provided with the intention of offering a draft treaty

for private property in space to the UN. • Students and assigned to a country with their own “secret agenda” • All preparation and “wheeling and dealing” is done outside of class.

Picture source: http://www.munsc.si/news/two-day-conference-on-the-future-challenges-of-space-law/

Teachers Responses

“ When the students were doing the conference I could sit and take notes on their use of English and give

feedback” “ The students outdid

themselves with research, preparation, and conducting the conference”

“Some students applied their previous conference skills

and guided the other students in their demeanor”

“A completely successful project. The students

learned so much”

A SYNTHESIS FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: Ash, 2012; Baker, 2000; Bathker, 2013; Bennett et al., 2011; Bergman & Sams, 2008, Davies, 2013; Hertz, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Gajjar, 2013; Kahn, 2011; Lage et al., 2000; Spencer et al., 2011; Talbert, 2012; Tucker, 2012

“Fantastic”

Oral Exam • Pairs • 20 minutes • 2 examiners • Audio recorded and archived • C1/C2 pass level

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In conclusion…

Discussion Groups