Unit Six: The Flipped Classroom

This week our class discussions centered around an instructional design method entitled "The Flipped Classroom." The Flipped Classroom is a new spin on classroom learning: essentially, instead of teachers lecturing in the traditional way (at a desk, in front of the classroom, etc.), they can post their lectures online for students to view and post to discussion boards.  The classroom time is spent engaging on the material and putting into practice the actual application of the learning.  A short video of The Flipped Classroom can be viewed here:

The Flipped Classroom is assuredly a hands-on approach with a focus on technology.  It recognizes that the future is unknown and continuously changing.  It is a passion based model which asserts that if students can Google the answer, why bother testing them with such questions? Instead question the student's ability to take the knowledge and apply it!  As librarians and instructors, we have a responsibility to adhere to the strengths involved in The Flipped Classroom: it causes the teacher to be active all day and everyday—working with the students and as part of the students in order to ultimately increase student learning.  Each teacher/librarian creates his or her own authentic flavor and style of teaching; we are creating quality activities and lesson plans to constantly engage students.  Students (or patrons) will use the educational videos WHEN and WHERE appropriate for them, and instead use the classroom (or library) environment to apply those learnings.

Because I am more focused on academic librarianship versus actual instruction, I am very curious about how a librarian might implement these tactics! Would we have the responsibility to perhaps teach our audience from afar the resources available to them--so that when they come into the library they are aware of the resources already available to them?  Make it well known to the campus community what resources we provide and perhaps instruction on how to use them?  Create videos on effectively understanding the Library of Congress so students coming into the library can hone in on their research rather than worry about how to access the materials?