The Flipped Law Classroom: Retooling the Classroom to Support Active Teaching and Learning

Abstract

One option for changing the traditional lecture/Socratic method of law teaching is the "flipped" classroom, a teaching technique being used to great effect in both high schools and universities. The essence of the flipped classroom is straightforward. Instead of asking students to analyse scenarios by reading beforehand, and using class time to provide lecture content, the "flip" uses a variety of new technologies to reverse the standard pattern. Under this model, professors deliver prepackaged lectures outside of class, allowing classroom time to be used for a range of interactive pursuits.

In late 2013, the authors learned about each other's adoption of the flipped classroom as a model of instruction. A private conversation and exchange of ideas followed. Rather than keep this exchange to ourselves, we held a workshop at the University of Ottawa that focused on our courses, the reasons for moving to the flipped classroom model and a range of other matters of interest to the audience. The workshop was recorded and posted online. This article is the product of that workshop.

We divide it into three sections. In the first – a research overview – we review several of the academic studies on "flipped" teaching, addressing issues commonly raised by those considering the concept. The second section then comprises a lightly footnoted transcript of our 2013 forum. The third section offers a brief conclusion and some thoughts on the future of the flipped classroom.

Keywords: flipped classroom, legal education, technology