FLIPPED CLASSROOM: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEARNING PROCESS OF CAMÕES’ POETRY

ABSTRACT

The flipped classroom learning approach using video and vodcast in a b-learning environment has recently had a lot of attention in the media and educational blogs in the USA. In a flipped classroom environment, students watch the lectures outside the classroom via videos and/ or vodcasts as a homework strategy, while classroom time is used for problem-solving activities, project-based learning and collaborative work applying the concepts learnt at home. This case study was developed in a Portuguese Literature 10th grade class in an international school in order to investigate the applicability of this method to a poetry unit. The goals were to analyze and understand the perceptions of both students and teachers using vodcasts and the flipped classroom method in studying Luís de Camões poetry as well as identify advantages and disadvantages of the flipped classroom approach. The sample in this case study included a 10th grade class of 19 students and a group of 5 teachers experienced in teaching Camões’ poetry. Both qualitative methods, such as interviews, field notes, direct and participant observation, open question survey, and quantitative methods, such as closed question survey using Likert type scale, were used to better understand the case study. The findings of this research show that (i) the flipped classroom approach is an efficient strategy to achieve the benchmarks in a literature unit such as the study of Camões’ poetry; (ii) students went through an initial stage of adaptation to a different learning method than they were used to and it developed their sense responsibility towards self-learning; (iii) students faced some frustration mostly related to the fact that watching the vodcasts did not allow for the immediate teacher response to questions that might have arisen; (iv) watching the vodcasts demanded more concentration and the development of organizational strategies such note-taking and flagging questions and doubts; (v) vodcasting is a major asset for revising content and promoting self-paced learning, due to the “pause” and “repetition” features as well as its ubiquous availability online; (vi) it allowed for more collaborative work and activities in class without sacrificing the breadth of the curriculum; (vii) the interaction student-student and teacher-student was increased, which allowed for a socioconstructivist approach to learning; (viii) the role of the teacher changed since she became more of a tutor and guide to students’ performance which resulted in a different way of structuring class time.

KEYWORDS: Flipped classroom, b-learning, vodcasting, constructivism, socioconstructivism, Camões’ poetry.