By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides
Most of us were taught in a lecture that explains for fifty minutes and then sends the problems home. A flipped classroom reverses the order. Students meet the explanation before class, and the room becomes the place for practice and questions. The idea is old, but a learning management system such as Blackboard and any phone camera make it easy to try in one course.
Do not flip the whole course in one go. Pick one lecture where the theory fits in a few minutes and the real work is applying it, such as solving calculation problems or analysing a case. Run it once, look at what happened, and only then repeat the method.
What changes in class, and what stays the same?
Only the timing of the explanation changes. The content, the learning outcomes and the assessment stay the same. Students do not learn less; they meet the material first and work with it in the room. If the in-class tasks stay the same, flipping gains you nothing, because you will simply repeat the lecture louder.
A meta-analysis of 28 comparative studies in health professions education found a moderate advantage for flipped designs, with a standardised mean difference of 0.33 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.46).1 The same authors found that effects were larger when instructors opened each in-class session with quizzes, so the check at the start of class is part of the design, not an extra.2
How do you flip one lecture?
- Write the outcome of the session
One sentence that describes what a student should be able to do at the end, such as "solves a three-step problem without help". The outcome is what you measure, not the topic.
- Choose the pre-class material
A short video that explains one idea, a two-page written summary, or slides with a voice-over. It must cover only what the practice needs.
- Set one pre-class question
One or two questions answered before class, so the student arrives knowing which part confused them.
- Open with a short quiz
Five questions in Blackboard or on paper. The result shows who needs a repeat before the practice starts.
- Give the time to practice
Work one problem together, then ask each student to explain one step to a neighbour. Repeat the explanation only where most of the room made the same mistake. Before you choose the outcome, check it against the learning outcomes guide.
Which pre-class material fits your lecture?
Not every topic suits a video. Theory that needs a diagram or a sequence of steps works well, because students can pause and rewind. A philosophical debate or a complex case study needs you in the room, and a video will only delay it. Pick what you can explain in five minutes without losing the idea.
- A short video of four to five minutes that explains one idea, made by you or taken from an openly licensed source.
- A written summary of no more than two pages, ending with a question that needs reasoning.
- Slides with a recorded voice-over, useful when most of the session is practice on a short explanation.
How do you know students prepared?
The hard part is the follow-up, because a student who did not watch the video will sit silent during the practice. Connecting the pre-class material to a question answered before class does more than any reminder. The answers can be read in Blackboard before students walk in, so you know who is ready before the session begins. If the pre-class question counts towards the grade, say how in your assessment rubric.
I am a lecturer in [subject]. The original explanation covers [topic] and takes about [number] minutes. Suggest three sections for a short video, one clear idea per section, and one question after each section that requires the student to reason. Do not add information that is not in the explanation, and write the questions so they test understanding rather than recall.
Read the questions before you publish them. A question that can be answered only by repeating the explanation turns the pre-class task into memorisation, which is not the point.
Which mistakes sink the first trial?
- Flipping the entire course in one week, and discovering that neither you nor the students have the time.
- A long video that students replay without any task attached to it afterwards.
- Repeating the whole explanation in class, which tells students that preparing was unnecessary.
- Penalising missed preparation harshly before you have tested the design, which turns the room into an enforcement exercise.
Some courses do not suit the flipped model: a seminar built on long discussion, or a laboratory course that needs continuous supervision. For those, keep the usual order and add one practical task after the session.
Which AI tools for teaching are worth using before class?
Tools can help you draft questions for the pre-class task, or a simpler version of a difficult paragraph. Check every line before you publish it, since the errors are usually in the detail rather than in the presentation. Use them to plan, not as a source of content your students will rely on.
Can I use AI tools for teaching before class?
Yes, for drafting. Ask for three short questions that cover one idea from the video, then read them yourself and delete any question that asks about something you never explained. The tool saves you writing time; the judgement about accuracy stays with you.
What should you measure after the first trial?
Count three things: the share of students who finished the pre-class material, the share who answered the practice question correctly, and how many questions students asked in the room. Compare these with the same lecture taught in the usual way, and expect first-year groups to behave differently from final-year ones.
Expect a modest first result. Most teachers need several rounds before the pre-class material and the in-class tasks fit each other, so judge the design over a term rather than from one lecture.
