Blended Learning: Final Assignment

Introduction:

The innovation I tried was a flipped classroom through the use of EDMODO because we don’t have a cyber center at school (that really works) and less than 20% of the students have a laptop. What they do have are cellphones (smart ones) so during the class I also implemented QR Codes hence students can surf on the Internet and complete the content of the class (this section of the course is managed through group projects where teams should answer at least one set of exercises).

It looks like students just rotate between face-to-face teacher-guided practice (at school in a regular school day) to online delivery of content from a remote location after school; but using QR Codes also gives them some flexibility during the face-to-face period (because I give them 2 or 3 QR Codes so they –as a team- can choose just one or go deeper by looking up and solving all of them).

The general idea is having time to work on small-group instruction (checking the progress team by team).

The process that I wanted to try was:

• Prepare students: explain them the general use of Edmodo, give them the enter code.
• Ask them to be “responsible and honest” with their learning. I have to trust in them (that they really were going to enter to Edmodo and watch the videos I uploaded there at least one day before our class). Note: My class is taught 3 hours per week, so they have enough days during the week to accomplish the task).
• Give them the freedom to choose the group where they’ll work as a team (answering exercises)
• I give them a photocopy with at least 3 QR Codes so they can scan the ones they prefer.
• While they are answering the exercises, I look over every team.
• At the end of the class, in plenary I give them the key issues of the topic. Remember students to watch the videos for the next session.

The troubles I had:

• Around 30% of the students didn’t watch the videos. Those who didn’t, make a team with their “friends” or with people they knew are always responsible.
• Reading the exercises on the cellphone’s screen is somehow complicated.
• Although I make teams of 5 students, checking team by team (I had to check 7 teams) wasn’t as easy as I thought.  

Before and After

Before	After	Comment
Teacher gives them all the content	Students watch a video on Edmodo	Before students watch the video I have to tell them the general idea of the topic (maybe some keywords).
Teacher gives them some exercises and they solve them individually, as a team or as a group.	Teacher gives them QR Codes with 3 different exercises. They look at them and choose the one(s) they prefer (as a team).	It’d be better that they could choose the exercises individually.
Students place their sits most of the time in the classical rows.	Students place their sits most of the time in small circles (teams).	The existing furniture doesn’t fit the expectations in order to work in teams.
Teacher doesn’t have enough time to face-to-face (individual) relationships.	I still don’t have enough time, but at least I have a little bit more.	To be more efficient with the given time.

What were the general results:

•  For me (as a teacher): allows me to interact deeply with my students. Notice if they really learn the content and what they are missing.
• For my students: They liked the freedom they had, but mostly they felt comfortable handling the mastery and the evaluation part. (I have a small video of one of my students giving her opinion but it’s in Spanish)

What’s next?

·         Ask other teachers to use Edmodo in their classes too, in order to route students to login at least once a day.

·         Have the exercises in power point or word to prevent low connection issues.

·         Make a test at the beginning of the class so teams are formed not based on the students preferences but in students’ knowledge similarities.

aAnnexes

Before: Students sit in rows. Usually, the ones who finish the exercises first, the ones who are motivated are sat in front. The ones who “secretly” are doing something else sit at the back of the classroom. 

 After: Laptops are better than cellphones (to visualize the exercise) but the number of student who has laptops is not enough. Working in team in a cooperative way it’s always motivating.  

My students' opinions (in spanish...sorry about the bad quality :( I did it with my cellphone):