Contextual Background
Starting from the lack of infrastructure to teach software in person in Interior Design courses at Chelsea and Interior & Spatial Design at Camberwell, I am trying to introduce pre-recorded lessons as an alternative to online teaching, which presents several obstacles for students.
Evaluation
The current situation in the two colleges is different. At Camberwell, teaching is done online, resulting in students being unable to watch and execute simultaneously because they have to constantly switch screens, leading to few students interacting and a very high degree of inattention. At Chelsea, lessons are conducted in rooms not suitable for software teaching: lack of seating and tables for all students, inability to charge their devices (no power outlets), difficulty hearing from the back rows.
Starting from these different learning difficulties, I am developing a new strategy to improve the experience and learning of software for students using pre-recorded lessons and more time for individual or group tutorials.
Moving forward
Starting from the described context of a space deficit that we must accept and cannot change, using flipped teaching leads us in both situations to support the different needs of students in a more structured way.
Pre-recording lessons would bring several benefits for student learning:
- Students can go at their own pace, pausing and executing step-by-step what is being shown, benefiting those with different learning speeds and language backgrounds.
- Having access to a wide collection of digital content that serves not only for the day’s lesson but also for times when one needs to refresh their memory with processes already seen
- Pre-recorded videos have no interruptions and distractions like recordings of live online lessons
- Shift from passive to active learning, encouraging collaboration and problem-solving.
Flipped learning aims to move from passive to active learning, turning teachers into facilitators and allowing students to control their own learning. This approach promotes essential 21st-century skills such as digital literacy and can be incorporated into a broader teaching method based on the intersection of live online lessons and in-person group tutorials.
However, implementing flipped learning also presents challenges:
- Developing high-quality pre-recorded content requires significant time and effort from educators, especially those new to creating video content.
- Ensuring student engagement with pre-class material is crucial; without proper motivation, some students may come unprepared, hindering in-class activities.
- Not all students may have equal access to necessary technology or reliable internet connections at home, potentially creating equity issues.
- Both students and educators may need time to adjust to this new learning model, with some students initially resisting increased responsibility for their learning.
Flipped teaching, while beneficial, cannot be uniformly applied across all subjects and throughout the academic year. Instead, it should be integrated into a broader teaching strategy that combines also live online lessons and in-person group tutorials.
The implementation of this system requires flexibility and adaptation based on the specific activities and learning objectives of each unit.
For instance, teaching basic 3D modeling skills may be more effective through live online lessons, allowing real-time interaction and immediate question-answering.
Conversely, activities requiring specialized equipment like virtual reality headsets necessitate in-person sessions.
In the later stages of the year, when covering complex digital processes involving multiple software applications, flipped teaching becomes advantageous, enabling students to learn at their own pace while reserving class time for questions and project-specific guidance.
This dynamic teaching structure demands careful planning and clear communication with students, who may struggle with frequent changes in lesson formats. Effective implementation requires a well-designed curriculum that anticipates and accommodates these shifts throughout the academic year.
References
Advance HE. (n.d.). Flipped learning. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/flipped-learning-0 (Accessed February 10, 2025).
Tucker, B. (2012) ‘The Flipped Classroom’, Education Next, 12(1), pp. 82–83. https://www.educationnext.org/the-flipped-classroom/ (Accessed: 3 March 2025).
