Before the pandemic, if I had been told to flip my classroom, live-Zoom classes and administer open-note exams, I may have rethought my career choices.
But perhaps something good came out of this anxious, uncertain time.
When our campus shut down in March 2020, my in-person classes were the typical “sage on a stage” lectures for 35 to 120 people with a lot of Q&A and some critical-thinking exercises. Now, with “the new normal” no longer that new, I am using AI to create podcasts, live-Zooming classes from my laptop and allowing notes for exams. The transition was not seamless; but it did motivate me to experiment with different teaching techniques and content delivery modes.
- The pandemic taught me the benefits of flipped homework
- How to maximise student satisfaction with the flipped classroom
- Branch out to boost student engagement in flipped learning
Here are my teaching tips from my flip-Zoom-open model, which is still evolving.
1. Flipped classes and live Zoom
The main goal for flipping classes is to minimise passive classroom lecturing and use the extra time to foster active student engagement. Podcasts are a useful tool, as students listen to recorded course lectures and take notes before class, which they supplement in teaching time. I reinforce the most important topics and concepts, encourage questions and facilitate lively discussions with practical learning exercises.
I design interactive modules, where students break into small groups to analyse problems and devise solutions. The process is think, pair, share and critique.
Although the Covid crisis has passed, I still live-Zoom in some of my courses but I do not record these sessions for student privacy concerns and because I promote candid dialogues on ethical decision-making in various settings. If you try the live/virtual teaching approach, I recommend Zooming from a laptop so you can roam around the classroom.
- Tips for an effective flipped classroom: Supplement old podcasts with new recordings. I develop modules on trending course topics, as explained below.
- Tips for live-Zoom classes: Live-Zoom classes can be useful early in the day. I offer one at 8am because students who are commuters may be stuck in rush-hour traffic, for example. It’s rewarding when I see in the chat that someone is 10 minutes away and will be there shortly. However, I discontinued the virtual option for other undergraduate courses because too many students were opting for Zoom even if they were on campus.
2. AI and interactive in-class modules
Generative AI can speed up the process of developing hypothetical scenarios for discussion, dissection and sharing. For example, I have used ChatGPT to generate interactive modules, as described in Innovative College Teaching: after breaking the class into discussion groups of two or three and then going around the room for their thoughts, I put AI-generated solutions on the doc cam, and we compared what the students said and what ChatGPT produced. I weighed in on where I thought the students and AI did well and what I might have done differently. The conversations got students to critically examine the accuracy and possible flaws of relying on AI.
AI can also create podcasts for listening outside class and for use as an in-class activity. Google NotebookLM, a tool that allows users to generate recordings with “human” voices based on an uploaded PDF, could spur a class debate on copyright issues with AI-generated music, for example.
- Tip for using AI: AI can be a powerful time-management tool. Without it, I would not have enough time to produce interesting, engaging hypotheticals to flip classes effectively.
3. Open-note exams and critical thinking test questions
The parameters of open-book exams can evolve to suit your teaching. Before the pandemic, I never administered in-person open-note exams. As we returned to campus, with laptops, textbooks and handwritten notes permitted to ease the transition from virtual learning, I eliminated many multiple-choice and easy essay questions. This requires students to apply content to hypothetical scenarios and exercise critical thinking.
I now permit only a one-page study sheet. Before an exam begins, I go around the room to check study sheets. I allow students to use others’ guides but emphasise that deeper learning occurs when they generate original work.
- Tips for open-note exams: A one-page study sheet challenges students to organise and synthesise their notes. They sidestep needless memorisation, yet have enough material to take on more rigorous test questions. In my pre-exam check, I snap photos of notes with permission and post the most interesting ones on Instagram, so students can learn from each other.
Did lockdown make me a better teacher?
So much has changed since my first Covid Zoom session, when I wore a cap and gown and sang Pomp and Circumstance to honour the seniors deprived of a traditional graduation ceremony. Lockdown opened a window to experiment with a seismic shift in my teaching methods, ways of delivering content and administering exams. The speed of AI technology made my flipping strategy sustainable as I continued to create in-class activities.
Does all of this make me a better teacher? I don’t know, but I’ll leave you with an anonymous evaluation comment after the first semester back in person: “I didn’t think a real-life teacher could pull off a flipped class but good [*****] job, my dude!”
Perry Binder is a clinical associate professor of legal studies in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. His latest book is Innovative College Teaching: Tips & Insights from 14 Master Teachers (2024).
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