On November 13, 2013, seminar leaders Maha Zewail Foote and Steven Neshyba presented Flipped for the Sciences, in which they shared why they became interested in “flipping” a classroom and introduced the “flipped” techniques they are using to engage students in the sciences. In this follow-up seminar, they offer some practical guidelines on what aspects of your course to flip, and how to flip them. They’ll share strategies for sequencing topics, identifying learning objectives, and motivating students in ways that maximize the benefit of the flipped format. They’ll talk about designing student-centered approaches, such as just-in-time development, that promote serendipitous learning. They’ll also talk about pedagogical experiments that didn’t work out as well as they had hoped. Whether you have already flipped a classroom, experimented with flipped techniques, or are uncertain about whether flipping is suitable for your courses, join the seminar leaders and other colleagues from the NITLE Network who are examining the value of this approach.

1. Flipped for the Sciences: Course
Design
9
3
15
F Li P
Dr. Maha Zewail-Foote, Southwestern University
Dr. Steven Neshyba, University of Puget Sound

2. How it’s done in our classes
Before class
Videos can be
recorded
lectures or
narrated
slides
During class
After class
Grappling with
complex
problems,
collaborative
hands-on work,
clickers
Completing,
reflecting , and
preparing materials
to be submitted

3. Step 1: What to flip?

Select a topic and learning goals

4. Step 2: Choose your tools

Choose the technology
 Posting videos or other material
 On-line quizzes
 Electronically submit answers

5. Step 3: What to do in the
classroom?
Can still lecture
 Active-learning activities

◦ Worksheets
◦ Clicker questions

6. Example: Colligative
properties

Step 1 : Learning goals
◦ Explain how the amount of solute added
alters the vapor pressure, boiling point
and freezing point

7. Example: Colligative
properties

Step 2: Tools
◦ Create video
◦ On-line quiz

8. Exam: Colligative properties

Step 3: What to do in the classroom?
◦ Worksheet
Describe the effect a solute has on vapor pressure at the
molecular level. Modify the picture to demonstrate that change.
Assume you add 1 mol sucrose or 1 mol of NaCl to water.
Would the freezing point depression be the same?
◦ Clicker questions
Which will have the highest boiling point?
a) 0.200 m HOCH2CH2OH
b) 0.0750 m NaI
c) 0.125 m K3PO4
d) 0.200 m Ba(NO3)2
e) 0.12 m C2H6O2

9. Exam: Colligative properties

Step 3: What to do in the classroom?
◦ Worksheet
Adapted from Chemistry, The Central Science, 10th edition
Theodore L. Brown; H. Eugene LeMay, Jr.; and Bruce E. Bursten

10. Example: Decay kinetics

Step 1 : Learning goals
◦ Gain insight into connections between
kinetics-related concepts: k, t1/2, and
integrated rate laws
◦ Grow accustomed to the idea of
theoretical modeling of experimental data
◦ Develop expertise in using a spreadsheet

11. Example: Decay kinetics
Conventional approach:
Students look at
graphs, decide whether
a reaction is 1st or 2nd
order based on whether
it’s a straight line …
doesn’t lead to much
intuition about the
meaning of k.
From http://textbook.sanand.net/wpcontent/uploads/2011/06/4_
4.png

12. Example: Decay kinetics
Flipped approach:
Get students to construct graphs of experimental and
modeled concentrations, vary k, and see what
happens!
1.20E-02
1.00E-02
1st order
Experiment
8.00E-03
2nd order
6.00E-03
[A]
4.00E-03
2.00E-03
0.00E+00
0
200
400
time (sec)
600
800

13. Example: Decay kinetics

Make a handout

14. Decay kinetics

Make a voice-over screen capture video showing
how

15. Decay kinetics

Maybe a blackboard video of the theory

16. Decay kinetics

And ask for some kind of analysis

17. Example: Protein structure

Step 1 : Learning goals
◦ Learn to recognize amide planes within a
polypeptide
◦ Learn to identify N- and C-termini
◦ Learn to identify residues within a
polypeptide
◦ Develop skill in constructing molecules in
SpartanTM (Wavefunction, Inc.)

18. Protein structure
Conventional approach:
Students look at images of polypeptides and
proteins, try to identify sequence and geometrical
relationships.
Jakubowski. BC Online: 2C - Understanding Protein Conformation. at
<http://employees.csbsju.edu/hjakubowski/classes/ch331/protstructur
e/olunderstandconfo.html>

19. Protein structure
Flipped approach:
Get students to build polypeptides (on a computer)
from residues, using handouts, lectures, and
videos, and manipulate those images to learn about
proteins
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXYunrarRg8

20. Lessons Learned
Group work
 Student participation
 Student reflections
 Individualized learning
 Keep students on point with
task
 Time
 Our learning curve
