BALEAP 2023 conference

As we emerge from the pandemic, this seems like an opportune moment to reflect. The series of lockdowns compelled a new approach to teaching and learning: the usual focus on 'what' we teach was replaced by 'how' as the mode of delivery became a central question. Was this a bad thing? I would say no. This disruption in our normal activities was the perhaps the single greatest experiment in learner autonomy, with learning taking place almost exclusively outside the classroom. Online lessons may have been quieter (or even completely silent!), but this does not mean they were not productive; the analytics show that in most cases, students engaged very well. The absence of traditional classroom-based instruction and reduction in teacher talking time arguably created more space for students to construct their own learning.

The desire to return to 'business as usual' after such challenging times is understandable. Recorded lectures and Moodle activities are already beginning to seem anachronistic as we rediscover the 'novelty' of teaching face to face. However, before we discard the relics of our recent past, I would advise a note of caution. In consigning our pandemic lessons to history, are we not in danger of losing the spirit of experimentation that went along with them? In returning to 'business' as usual, are we in fact taking two steps backwards? Might it not be possible to have the best of both worlds?

In the spirit of Walter Benjamin, this session will attempt to 'salvage' the best elements of online teaching and explore ways in which these can be repurposed for the face-to-face classroom. I will discuss my own experience of redeploying Moodle lessons created during the pandemic to facilitate flipped learning as part of a technology enhanced learning project. A theoretical framework for my project was provided by Abeysekera and Dawson (2015), who propose that flipped approaches can increase learner motivation and reduce cognitive load. It is also informed by a growing number of studies (e.g. Knežević et al., 2020) which suggest that flipped approaches, when combined with technology, can enhance second-language learning in the EAP classroom.

Abeysekera, L. and Dawson, P. 2015. Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: definition, rationale and a call for research. Higher education research & development, 34(1), pp.1-14.
Adnan, M., 2017. Perceptions of senior-year ELT students for flipped classroom: a materials development course. Computer Assisted Language Learning. 30(3-4), pp.204-222.
Hsieh, J.S.C, Wu, W.C. V. and Marek, M.W . 2017. Using the flipped classroom to enhance EFL learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30(1-2), pp.1-21.
Huang, H.C. 2020. Learner Autonomy and Responsibility: Self-learning Through a Flipped Online EFL Course. In: Freiermuth, M.R. and Zarrinabadi, N. eds. Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 203-223. [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34212-8_8
Knežević, L., Županec, V. and Radulović, B. 2020. Flipping the Classroom to Enhance Academic Vocabulary Learning in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Course. SAGE Open. DOI: 10.1177/2158244020957052.
Sams, A. and Bergmann, J. 2013. Flip your students' learning. Educational Leadership. 70(6), pp.16-20.
Voss, E. and Kostka, I. 2019. Flipping Academic English Language Learning: Experiences from an American University. [Springer e-book]. Singapore: Springer.