The use of E-flipped classroom during the pandemic to teach English at university education

The use of E-flipped Classroom During the Pandemic to Teach English at University Education Le Thi Thao Linh, M.A INTRODUCTION The covid-19 pandemic has apparently affected the world in many ways, including teaching and learning. Meanwhile, it also triggers some transformations in education in which online learning has risen in popularity. As a matter of fact, this new education approach creates challenges for both teachers and students alike. Nonetheless, the past two years have witnessed how successfully we have been organizing educational activities in the remote platform and how teachers and students have become more academically autonomous, independent and flexible. At the same time, it also sparks much discussion around alternative methods for the future of education, namely online and blended learning and how teachers can deliver lessons in various circumstances. For the time being, there are uncertainties about our returning completely to normal schooling in the near future; thus, it is necessary to prepare for different learning modes. Although one can deny that face-to-face learning offers the optimal condition in education, the world pandemic proves the role of a virtual classroom in offering constant, updated, and flexible learning conditions for various types of learners. During Covid-19, educational technology has risen and developed in many places with a wide range of tools to equip online learning with more attractive, accessible and dynamic lessons. The fact that is there is really no one-size-fits-all learning experience has supported the rise of virtual classrooms besides traditional ones. Moreover, the young generation has grown up more confident using technology in this digital era. In such circumstances, flipped classroom model (in which the class procedure is “turned around”) is increasingly popular and promising to bring more valuable teaching and learning experiences, especially amidst this crisis. Keywords: flipped classroom, educational technology, pandemic LITERATURE REVIEW Overview of the Flipped classroom Rather than relying absolutely on teachers’ lectures at the onset, flipped classroom or “backwards” classroom allows students to have access to materials, self-study and may even complete assigned tasks in advance. Face-to-face class, thereafter, gives room to class/group discussions, Q&A sessions, assessment or reflection (Glass, 2020). Another definition of a flipped classroom is that students get instruction on a computer-based basis, watch material videos and then participate in class sessions to apply what they have learned (Jang & Kim, 2020). In other words, the key factor in this pedagogical practice is students’ ownership of their own learning process, dependent thinking skills and learning autonomy. In flipped classroom model, students learn materials independently usually on the online platform prior to having discussions with the teacher. The application of this model is especially useful in the mid of Covid-19 since the delivery of learning resources is transferred to virtual sessions (Cecilia, 2020). In that context, students are provided with materials in advance through watching videos, handouts, etc., for their own research, whereas class time is utilized for some active learning or student-centered activities such as discussion, project planning, critical thinking and problem-solving tasks Kadek (2020). In this sense, flipped classroom consists of two main phases, one of which is named independent learning, followed by a class meeting including face-to-face or online sessions. As a matter of fact, students’ preparation before a class meeting is crucial to the learning process and they are asked to take initiatives in their learning to achieve learning outcomes. During the pandemic, teachers have to adapt to online learning and design lessons in a more engaging and interactive way so as to maintain teaching quality despite social distancing (Pakpahan, 2020). A flipped classroom is effective in terms of giving students access to a tremendous source of learning materials, especially at their preferred time, space and learning pace. At the same time, support from teachers cannot be separated from students’ independent learning to achieve better learning outcomes since it is required that students can communicate regularly with the teacher and peers and get timely support for their problems. Studies on a Flipped classroom The flipped classroom has been acknowledged for quite some time, though the practice of this learning model is novel to the Vietnamese teaching and learning context. Nonetheless, the current presence of Covid-19 hinders direct learning and online learning has become the prevalent practice in numerous school settings. This also encourages the application of technology in education. Past studies on the related topic have pointed out some advantages of flipped classrooms to both learners and educators. Regarding students, taking part in the flipped classroom helps them build up independent and active learning and take more responsibility for their progress and therefore, they become more autonomous learners (Jang & Kim, 2020). Besides, students are allowed to study at their own pace since they can watch videos and read materials multiple times, pause and resume as they wish. As a result, student-centeredness is highly supported in this learning model Kadek (2020). From the instructors’ side, teachers’ support and guidance will mainly focus on students’ difficulties with the materials or developing students’ competencies and thus, saves teachers’ valuable time for particularly specific areas that need more discussion during a class meeting. Tools such as video conferences like Google Classroom or Google Meet are employed during the pandemic as the main teaching and learning platform. This procedure is expected to give sufficient support for learners due to the unavailability of the face-to-face classroom. In recent years, the flipped classroom has got more attention especially in the context of university education, with the multiple benefits mentioned such as the opportunity of active learning, increased interaction, the catering for various learning styles, and independence learning (Cecilia, 2020). Regarding higher education, the educational objectives also aim at developing learners’ 21st-century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, to name just a few (Cecilia, 2020; Jang & Kim, 2020). Research by Kadek (2020) on the students’ perception over the use of flipped classroom during the pandemic has shown positive responses since participants claimed that flipped classroom helped them learn writing better, feel more motivated and understand the materials more deeply. It is due to the fact that students could adjust their learning speed and the materials could be repeated as many times as they wished. Moreover, an interaction was enhanced through the online platform and whenever facing problems, they could raise questions freely and conveniently. Besides, flipped classrooms allow learners to reflect on their own learning process, which then leads to more in-depth comprehension of the materials. Another study by Cecilia (2020) has shed light on the use of flipped classroom model in a higher education setting in terms of the perceived effectiveness by students. This study places emphasis on analysing the competencies of the 21st century skills that learners can develop during the flipped classroom, namely communication, creativity, critical thinking and character building. Online questionnaires were delivered to students and the results point out that participants had a fairly positive perception towards the use of flipped classroom methodology for developing 21st century skills. In general, this study highlights the potential of this model applied in university education. Some of the benefits include enhancing communication and collaboration skills, critical thinking, and awareness of responsibility. Learning in this inverted classroom enables the environment that supports the establishment of 21st century skills. Jang and Kim (2020) also examined the effectiveness of flipped classroom in higher education regarding students’ cognitive, affective and interpersonal outcomes by synthesizing 43 past studies on the same subject. The study figures out that this method had an average effect on students’ academic performance compared to the lecture-based classroom. Additionally, the study also points out that flipped classroom did enhance students’ interpersonal and affective outcomes since they became more motivated and willing to learn due to the fact that this learning model boosted active engagement, interaction and learning independence. For the aforementioned rationale, teachers in general and instructors at university level can consider flipped classroom model as an effective teaching and learning practice. Suggested procedure for teaching in the Flipped classroom at university education As presented by Pakpahan in his research (2020), flipped classroom procedure may be illustrated as containing the following elements:  Preparation made by the teacher, which consists of curriculum, lesson plans, learning resources and activities  Identifying the drivers namely, some external factors such as the school, the institution, the facility  Implementation of a flipped classroom  Objectives and learning outcomes presented to students at the start instead of the end of the course  Timely support from a teacher, peers, and technological devices  Assessment In light of the English teaching and learning at the School of Foreign Languages, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, the theoretical parts are presented for independent learning. Thereafter, the class meeting can be conducted either onsite or online (which is preferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The class meetings aim to consolidate the knowledge and learning materials are discussed in depth. It is noted that prior to the implementation of the flipped classroom, this methodology should be explained to the students, especially the importance of learning autonomy in this novel experience (Celicia, 2020). During the Covid-19 pandemic, many pedagogical practices in Vietnam, including university education, transfer to full-time online learning. According to Susana (2020), this approach gives us a chance to reshape our learning experience, in which innovation and pro-activeness are required. Due to the lack of face-to-face meetings during this period, the notion of an e-flipped classroom refers to virtual classrooms making use of technological development. Regarding teaching English for non-English major students at UEH, the Market Leader textbook is being used for the time being. This book aims at developing all four skills in terms of business and everyday use of English. In flipped teaching and learning model, course materials and practices need to be well-designed by the teacher to achieve the learning targets. The materials consist of first and foremost the presentation slides (the teachers’ recorded explanation can be inserted) or pre-recorded Youtube presentations, other related videos, handouts, systematic tasks, all uploaded in the Learning Management System (LMS). Learners are provided access to these materials one or two weeks in advance to have sufficient time researching those lessons, such as they may lookup for and learn the new words, complete listening/reading tasks as guided in the curriculum. For the second stage, during the synchronous online meeting via video conferences Zoom, Google Meet, the main knowledge of the lesson will be reinforced through Q&A sessions with a view to sharpening their comprehension as well as for the teacher to figure out any problems they are struggling with. In this sense, students’ active participation is the key factor for the instructor to navigate the focus of the lesson and therefore, students frequently need to be encouraged to raise their voices. Class time, as a result, is spent explaining some specific parts that most learners find hard to grasp, such as the Case Study part or Writing. Furthermore, teachers are encouraged to conduct team/group activities, provide students with tasks that arouse their critical thinking or problem-solving skills. Actually, the more interactive and engaging the class session is, the more likely the class is to be a successful alternative for traditional classrooms. Undeniably, transitioning from a traditional class style to another teaching model means moving from teacher-centeredness to students-centeredness, so this teaching model is ideal now that it reduces teacher lecturing time to leave room for students’ interaction and engagement (Jang & Kim, 2020). RECOMMENDATION With all the advantages of a flipped classroom, especially considering the current circumstances globally, this model has potential in the education dynamic. Nonetheless, to achieve the learning targets, educators need to consider some aspects as below. One of the keys for the success of flipped classrooms is the systematic organization of learning content and activities by the teachers. With learning materials, instructors need to vary the quantity and format of the learning resources in order to enhance students’ motivation in self- learning. The materials are more welcomed if authenticity is added so that learners may feel familiar or essential to their lives. By providing some authentic language input, music, newspapers, Youtube videos, Ted-ed videos, etc., teachers can make their lessons more captivating and close to learners. Furthermore, teachers are advised to make the most out of available technical support and innovative devices and resources to make their lessons more captivating. For instance, employing Screen recording function in Powerpoint to create their explicit content for the lessons. TPACK framework is a good reference for teachers to bear in mind upon building curriculum in such an era to get the most out of technological development in education. Moreover, there are numerous other tools that can assist teachers in designing their everyday lessons to bring differences to everyday lessons. Among those, Flipgid, Padlet, Ted-ed, Quizziz, Kahoot, Mentimeter, Konemaster, etc., are the ones that are ubiquitously employed and welcomed by learners. Teachers can absolutely employ available technological tools to provide familiar and accessible resources for students. With UEH students, LMS has enabled interaction between teachers and students in a user-friendly interface Moreover, the use of flipped classrooms pays much attention to teachers’ design and preparation. Therefore, teachers need to focus on learning objectives and coordinate their lessons accordingly. Other barriers to the implementation of flipped classrooms do exist, such as the hesitance to adopt new methods on the part of the teacher. Besides, there is a wide variety of learning styles and needs so materials need to be varied and updated on a regular basis. CONCLUSION Regardless of the covid-19 pandemic, the social scenario in recent years has asked for new demands in teaching and learning context. State-of-the-art technological devices such as smartphones, virtual platforms have become indispensable and certain skills and competencies need to be adopted as a result (Cecilia, 2020). Besides, the transformation of educational dynamics affected by Covid-19 forces many school settings to be conducted through virtual systems and allows students to learn the content in a more autonomous way beyond conventional classrooms. As a matter of fact, numerous schools, university, organizations have already considered e- learning and the use of ICT have become the norm of teaching and learning. Young people need to familiarize themselves with the flow of development to become more autonomous, learners and young techies. It is brought to our notice that flipped classroom model is not simply the uploading of audio-visual materials such as videos but the designing of an authentic online class through which learners are able to keep constant communication with everyone while controlling and directing their own learning. REFERENCES Cecilia, L. (2020). Flipped Classroom Model before and during Covid-19: Using Technology to Develop 21st Century Skills. Interactive Technology and Smart Education. Retrieved 25th May 2020, from Glass, G. (2020). The Rise of Flipped Classroom Learning During Covid-19. Retrieved from https://www.educationworld.com/teachers/rise-flipped-classroom-learning-during-covid-19 Jang, H. Y. & Kim, H. J. (2020). A Meta-Analysis of the Cognitive, Affective, and Interpersonal Outcomes of Flipped Classrooms in Higher Education. Educational Sciences, 10(115). Pakpahan, N. H. (2020). The Use of Flipped Classroom During Covid-19 Pandemic. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 491, pp. 286-291. Susana, K. Y. (2020). The Implementation of Flipped Learning in Writing Class during the Pandemic: Students’ Perception and Reflection. IsoLEC Proceedings 2020, pp. 129-136.