Students’ Views on the Teaching Process Based on Social Media Supported Flipped Classroom Approach

Abstract

The flipped classroom method, where in-class and non-class activities are translocated, is accepted as one of the new generation teaching models. The aim of this study is to reveal students' views on the use of social media in the teaching process based on the flipped classroom approach. This study is a qualitative action research and opinions of the participants were taken through semi-structured individual interviews. The study found that although the initial thoughts of the students about the social media supported flipped classroom method were negative, the final and the general thoughts were positive, that it improved in-class/ non-class communication and interaction, facilitated learning and increased motivation. The negative aspects of this method were found to be distractibility stemming from advertisements and notifications on social media, irrelevant negative comments, need for internet connection or excessive use of internet and feeling of being under constant surveillance. Video ads uploaded on YouTube and the students' consuming up their mobile data plans come to the fore as a disadvantage. The majority of the students expressed Kahoot activity as an incentive for watching videos.

The Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom in a 300 Level Terrorism Class

“…Initially, most of the students were apprehensive about the course, with 12 of the 20 students saying that they were surprised that the course would be taught in this manner (n=7) or that they expected the course to be challenging (n=5). Three of the students said that they were afraid to take a flipped class (Bicen & Taspolat, 2019). However, at the end of the class, half of the class (n=10) said that the class was better than they initially thought it would be, and three students said that this method could be used in their other classes.…”

“…Bicen and Taspolat conducted qualitative research to learn student opinions through interviews (2019). A computer science class, Programming Languages, was taught using the flipped method that utilized a Facebook group and a YouTube channel that was created specifically for the video lectures which were shared, along other course content, via the social media group (Bicen & Taspolat, 2019). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students before the start of the class and again at the end of the course.…”

“…In a flipped classroom, students learn the course content by watching instructional videos (presumably made by the course instructor) outside of the classroom, which frees up the class period for interactive activities. This structure allows students to learn the course material at their own pace (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). According to Bishop and Verleger, a flipped classroom is "a new pedagogical method, which employs asynchronous video lectures and practice problems as homework, and active, group based problem-solving activities in the classroom" (2013, p. 2).…”

“…Teachers moved "the knowledge delivery outside of formal class time," leaving the class time for students to, "actively and extensively interact with peers and teachers" (Cheng et al, 2019, p. 796). The idea is that rather than sit passively and listen to a lecture, class time could be used for "whole class brainstorming, group based hands on assignments and peer review, feedback exchange, and remedial help" (Kong, 2014, p. 161).The notion of a flipped classroom is that students can listen to lectures on their own time and at their own pace (Bicen & Taspolat, 2019;Kugler et al, 2019), leaving the class period for activities like large and small group discussions and personalized learning (Francl, 2014), changing the role of the instructor from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side (Bicen & Taspolat, 2019;Cheng et al, 2019).…”

Social Construction of the Legal System. Research in the Northeastern Region of Romania

“…What are the sources of information based on which you formed your opinion regarding the activity of the Romanian courts? aThe role of the media, written, audio-visual and online one(Bicen, & Taspolat, 2019;Dechev, Galabov, & Georgieva-Trifonova, 2019), is evident in the construction of the public image of the legal system. The public…”