Here at Langara, the use of the Introduction to Library Research and Avoiding Plagiarism tutorials can offer us the ability to flip the classroom. The concept of the flipped classroom asks students to learn concepts at home (usually by watching videos or completing online course materials) and then using class time to complete activities based on those concepts, answer questions, and review if necessary. For some topics of library instruction, we can think about creating more engaging activities in one-shot sessions that reinforce the concepts in the online tutorials.
This trendy teaching technique can be found in several recent case studies that discuss varying levels of effectiveness.
Information Literacy and the Flipped Classroom
Andrea Wilcox Brooks, Communications in Information Literacy – 2014
To judge whether the flipped classroom is effective and enjoyable, Brooks taught two identical sessions of ENG 291 using traditional one-shot training with one group and a video tutorial based flipped classroom with the other. Students were issued a pre-test and post-test to gauge their learning and had the works cited pages analyzed by the librarian to look for adequate scholarly sources. In addition, the post-test for the flipped classroom students had a series of questions about the quality of the videos and whether or not they enjoyed the setting. The pre- and post-test analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in the student learning outcomes, but content analysis of the bibliographies was more telling. Students in the flipped classroom were more likely to use scholarly, peer reviewed articles in their papers while students in the traditional workshop used more websites and articles from journals that are not necessarily peer reviewed (like book reviews and editorials). Student reactions to the flipped classroom were somewhat contradictory; they reported preferring learning concepts in class to learning them through videos, but did recognize that videos can enhance the face-to-face sessions and recommended them for future tutorials.
Elizabeth Andrejasich Gibes and Heather James, College & Research Library News – 2015
This short article outlines the details of a pilot project from Marquette University. Librarians developed an online learning tool using D2L and flipped their First-Year English instruction, asking instructors to assign the online tutorial and then using classroom time to have more meaningful discussions about the nuances of database searching, evaluating resources, and the research process. This also allowed time for students to begin researching on their own while a librarian is present to answer questions or provide guidance on particular search strategies. The program was met with positive feedback from instructors and librarians, but librarians did report that their tutorials became somewhat inconsistent and depended heavily on whether students were motivated to complete the online tutorial. For librarians who are willing to be flexible, instructors who are willing to cooperate, and students who are motivated, the flipped classroom can provide more meaningful interactions between librarians and students.
Using the Flipped Classroom Model in Your Library Instruction Course
Eduardo Rivera, The Reference Librarian – 2015
Another pilot study of a flipped model instruction course is described in Rivera’s article. At this college, students are required to take an information literacy competency test as they enter the school. If they are unable to pass, they will take a course consisting of 7 hour long sessions. In an effort to address faculty concerns about the efficacy of this course, the librarian flipped the classroom. Noted challenges were ensuring that students came prepared by watching the videos and the creation of the videos themselves. Successes noted were higher post-test scores, increased practice time for actual research, and helping ESL students by allowing them to repeat basic instructions as needed in the videos.
