Abstract:

The Flipped Learning Network identifies ‘The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P™’; Flexible learning environment, a change in Learning cultures, Intentional content, and the Professional educator. This paper concentrates on the ‘I’, intentional content. This case study is based on the continuing evaluation of an accredited Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice. Intentional content enables the teacher to offer materials for students to explore in their own time to maximize the face-to-face interactions. I have a design background and am a visual learner. When starting to plan out my module content my starting point was to draw out pathways that I would like my students to explore and how I could offer a structured but flexible way for this exploration. I was reminded of my previous experience of exhibition design and how an exhibition is put together. A curator selects artifacts and arranges them in an exhibition that guides an individual to experience a mindful collection placed in a meaningful way. The individual is able to take what they wanted from that experience. They can manoeuver around the exhibition at their own place, deciding what to pass or linger over or return to. Reflecting on my actions to create an online environment I could see parallels. I selected articles and videos, arranged them under themes, offer reflective questions and discussions and highlighted artifacts for people to linger over. Although I arranged the online pages in a particular order my students were free to use them any way they wanted. I curated the online experience as an individual learning exhibition. The face-to-face activities became a dynamic, interactive space for exploration of ideas with peers in a mutually beneficial way. Absolutely key is that the face-to-face activities are not a recitation, monologue or performance of the online materials. Advance HE defines digital curation as, the act of finding selecting, grouping and contextualising, preserving, maintaining, archiving and sharing digital content. (Advance HE 2017). It draws on exhibition design. The National Association for Interpretation in the USA (a professional association for those involved in the interpretation of natural and cultural heritage resources in settings such as parks, zoos, museums, and historical sites) suggest that effective exhibitions build on someone’s previous knowledge, making displays relate to and relevant for them, similar to principles of andragogy. They further suggest that an effective exhibition engages visitors mentally by getting them to reflect, think and ask questions, surely this is what we should be aiming for in a curated online environment? Intentional content I would argue is therefore a curated exhibition of artifacts to enable learning. It is more than a collection or repository. Advance HE suggests that digital curation is an emergent pedagogy. Curtin University, Australia have taken this concept into their blended learning strategy already making links to flipped learning (HEA 2017). For me the key concept is that, prior to face-to-face activities, a meaningful online environment, a ‘learning exhibition’, is created. In this flexible environment, we do not control what participants take away for their experience or how they ‘walk’ around and interact with the exhibits but we offer them suggested routes, questions to reflect on and narratives and explanations.

Keywords:

Flipped learning, intentional content, online environment.