Transforming Instruction with the Flipped Classroom (801E): Pre-Class Activity Ideas

Jane Forgay, University of Waterloo

Get the most out of your research time by doing some pre-planning. This quick exercise will help you be thorough but systematic so you go on to capture the best articles on your topic.

Step 1. Create a file (e.g., in WORD). At the top, state your essay topic and identify the separate concepts/ideas in it by highlighting them.
E.g., How changes to *labour laws* have improved *miners'* *health* in *20th century* *Britain*.

Step 2. Build a 'concept chart' where each concept has its own heading. Under each, list synonyms, alternate spellings, antonyms for each concept in your topic. Use encyclopedias and other reference materials via the Online Reference Shelf to find as many alternative expressions as you can.
Tip: most databases allow you to use quotation marks to force a "phrase search" and the asterisk * to truncate, so incorporate those too.
E.g., [here I would provide a sample chart using concepts from the above topic.]

Now, armed with this chart, you will be ready to begin testing your terms in the subject-specific databases as part of a class activity. Based on the results you retrieve you can add or modify terms in your chart so bring an electronic version with you to the class.

Step 3. If you have any questions about firming up your topic, filling in the chart, or the upcoming class activity, don't hesitate to let me know.

Reflection: I wouldn't expect them [students] to take less than 15 or more than 30 minutes to build their chart.

Heather Ganshorn, University of Calgary

Most of the databases I teach have an advanced search option with three boxes. Rather than Boolean logic (which many find hard to understand), I just tell them one concept per box, and they can put synonyms in the same box separated by OR; if they have more than three concepts, they should probably seek help from the librarian. We could do a video tutorial demonstrating this for engineering students, using Engineering Village. The video could also explain the types of articles that show up in the results (peer reviewed vs. professional technical literature, articles vs. conference presentations. Then in class students could be put in groups and given a particular topic to search. The librarian could walk around and help the groups. At the end, each group could present its topic, its search strategy and the result they feel best addresses their topic.

Caleb Domsy, Humber College

Pre-class Activity 

Learning Objectives: 
• Familiarize and introduce students to specific databases that will help them with a marketing 101 assignment 
• Familiarize students with general library resources 

Content: 
Step 1: Students are asked to read/listen to/watch a case study that tells the story of a fictional student who struggles to find credible resources for a marketing 101 assignment. Additionally, the case details some success the student had by using library produced APA videos. 

Step 2: The students are then guided through a handful of questions that bring about the successful elements of the case, and also the corrective steps that could be taken in the future. 

Step 3: The corrective steps include making use of a few databases. The trick here is that the students working on the case have never seen or heard of these databases. The case has an attached page detailing the names and short descriptions of the items in the case. In a way it acts as an index to the case. 
The questions and index serve almost as a matching exercise that should pique the student’s interest in discovering more about the resources. 

Assessment: 
The case and answers are completed online. Before going into the class to teach the students about the databases, the librarian looks at the answers to see how many students completed the flipped instruction and how they did in answering the guided questions. 
The in-class instruction demonstrates and experiments with the databases fueled by student responses to the case.

Reflection: I would have considered the incentive more closely. Also, I forgot to add a "contact me" to the assignment.