Dr. Nachiket Bhatia, the CEO of DBMCI, is widely acknowledged as one of the architects of modern e-learning in the medical sector. Best described as a visionary, Dr. Bhatia has always fostered the idea of “Education for all” and introducing eGurukul is the outcome of that. From dropping MBBS in the second year, helping DBMCI recover from a 5 Cr loss in 2018, and building a 77 Cr profitable business by 2022 to being included in the Forbes Top 10 Most Innovative CEOs the young entrepreneur has come a long way.
Almost all walks of life transitioned from conventional to contemporary practices by incorporating technology during the pandemic. One of the sectors that underwent major transformations was the education sector, the rise of the digital world led educators to find new ways of integrating technology into teaching practices. The period observed heightened awareness among the people regarding the potential of technology-driven and student-centric education.
Consequently, to make education 4.0 outcome-based, active learning has now become a priority over passive learning. Student-centric educational reforms are also at the heart of NEP 2020. Lecture-based education accompanied by problem-solving is no longer helpful in accomplishing broader understanding and long-term transfer of information. Many novel approaches to teaching have evolved in place.
The inverted classroom is one of these novel instructional approaches that encourage active learning by allowing the students to complete down-the-hierarchy cognitive activities of memorising and interpreting information before the class. And in class, it enables students to engage in more complex cognitive learning activities such as concept analysis and application collaboratively with classmates and educators. It has the potential to remedy the shortcomings of the traditional education setup.
Learning through the Inverted classroom approach
The inverted classroom concept, albeit still in its inception, is gradually making its way into Indian classrooms. Studies have also shown that inverted classroom learning has emerged as an important approach to teaching and learning, especially in postgraduate medical education. It is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning environment to the unique learning environment where the resulting environment is dynamic and interactive. It links lessons and experiences from the classroom to the outside world and fosters greater comprehension and information exchange between the learner and the educator. The inverted design is a comprehensive, purposeful, and joyful learning experience that lays a significant emphasis on “engagement,” as opposed to the conventional idea of attendance.
Digital tools and resources have become integral to the teaching and learning process. Delivering written, audio or visual content ahead of a lecture is the core concept of flipping the classroom which has been made easier by technological advances such as YouTube.
The pandemic sparked a greater interest in inverted classrooms because they could combine synchronous and asynchronous learning, whether it takes place through a virtual classroom, a hybrid model, or a pure in-person learning environment. The inverted classroom approach along with being a source of deep learning provides the learners and teachers with the ability:
- To create an environment conducive to active learning
- To allow learners to pursue learning at their own pace, and
- To allow the instructor to spend more time teaching each student individually, rather than teaching the group as a whole
Why the inverted classroom approach?
Allows for productive failure
In productive failure, challenges are built for students to solve problems first, even when concepts are not familiar to them. The students may come up with wrong or below optimal answers, but it enables students to become mindful of their knowledge gap. This fosters curiosity and enables students to pose novel or unanswered questions. It enhances receptivity to the concepts of learning. The educator can consequently integrate new knowledge with previously active knowledge and help students understand what is important, what works, and why.
Enables learners to proceed at their own pace
The typical classroom setup consisted of a teacher giving the lecture and the students jotting down the notes within the allotted time. However, in contrast, students in the inverted classroom model, can review any part of a recorded lecture or take breaks as needed. It empowers all students to take charge of their learning and reduce their learning anxiety.
Customised, active, and engaging
As students cover foundational material before class, instructors in an inverted classroom can dedicate class time to engaging students through active learning. Through group problem-solving, student presentations, whole-group discussion and tailored in-class activities students gain experience, test their comprehension, apply their knowledge, and absorb the content. The video analytics can ensure that students have engaged with the pre-class content.
Help students review and master the content
In an inverted classroom, pre-class material is made available, students can review those resources before class to better prepare for tests and exams. Students can also identify particular sections of the video by searching for words in the recordings or playing them at variable speeds.
Better learning outcomes
Researchers have found that inverted classrooms may provide students with better short-term learning outcomes because they provide more opportunities for interaction with the teacher, collaboration with other students, problem-solving practice, and self-paced learning.
When learning designs are planned and aligned effectively, students benefit from inverted classroom experiences. Motivation, confidence, and engagement are factors highlighted throughout the inverted classroom model that contribute to students’ satisfaction with their learning experience. The model develops the habit of self-directed and lifelong learning and satisfies the demand for novel and creative approaches that foster the development of metacognitive skills. Its cutting-edge pedagogies and technology-assisted learning will contribute to the bright future of evolving minds.