Page 4 - FP e-Newsletter January 2021

A New Approach
FLIPPED

CLASSROOM

Even before the recent shift to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a new trend in
classrooms focusing on building learner autonomy. The Flipped Classroom approach was built around the
idea of getting students more involved in their own learning. Building on this idea, the Foundation Program
(FP) decided to implement this approach for the 2020/2021 academic year. “We wanted to help students
with all abilities to excel inside and out of the classroom,” shares Faisal Hamadi Khalifa, Director of the FP.
“By putting more onus on students becoming autonomous learners, we aimed to increase student-teacher
interaction.”

Part of changing the way the classroom functions, both teachers and students were given helpful infor-
mation on how the flipped classroom worked. All teachers in the FP were given tutorials and guidance for
setting up their classes. They helped create a bank of materials that students would access over the
course of each level. Teachers would be responsible for getting students to produce more in the class to
help them develop as better learners.

Students were also informed of their new responsibilities. As part of a simple three-step process, students
prepared themselves each day by watching teaching videos, completing various activities, and then using
what they learned in the “live” class. Now, students can watch videos at their own pace, take notes, and
bring questions to the teacher during class time. Incentives are given for in-class participation to
encourage a more active class for all students.

In the end, the goal is to take the flipped classroom idea from online to the actual classroom in the future.
Enhancing the teaching and learning process is essential to the future success of students at Dhofar
University.