ABSTRACT
The concept of the flipped classroom has recently garnered the attention of educators, lawmakers, the media, and the public. This is largely owing to the increased attention given to numerous educators who have adopted the model (Green, 2012; Toppo, 2011). The flipped-classroom concept also overlaps greatly with other educational frameworks, such as blended learning and m–learning. Essentially, a flipped classroom leverages technology and utilizes a time shift in which elements traditionally used in class are moved outside of class to meet the needs of students in their unique educational setting (Bennett et al., 2011). In its crudest form, a flipped classroom is aptly named because what has traditionally been done in class (direct instruction) is now done outside of the class, and what was traditionally done outside of class (homework assignments) is now done in class (Schaffhauser, 2009). In more complex forms, teachers direct students to instructional video content when needed, during various stages in complex learning cycles (Musallam, 2011). Most commonly, the flip occurs in the form of shifting the time at which direct instruction is given. Many teachers who flip their class remove the direct instruction from the class time and, instead, they record the instructional content and deliver it outside the class (Bergmann & Sams, 2011/2012). This is where m-learning and the flipped classroom merge. By leveraging this time shift, students gain control over the time and location where they will receive instruction, and the teacher recuperates valuable class time, in which deeper and more personalized learning can take place. The time shift is a commonality in all flipped classrooms, but an even more powerful flip occurs when the flipped-classroom model is adopted: the attention in the class is shifted away from the teacher and “flips” toward the students, creating a student-centered learning environment (Bennett et al., 2011).
