Moving from Flipcharts to the Flipped Classroom: Using Technology Driven Teaching Methods to Promote Active Learning in Foundation and Advanced Masters Social Work Courses

Abstract

As part of a larger initiative to promote active learning at Case Western Reserve University, three faculty members (one field and two academic) participated in a year-long fellowship focusing on active instruction and academic technologies. The use of interactive technology and technology-based peer-to-peer active learning was considered a natural fit to the teaching of social work clinical practice skills; these techniques were designed to recognize students’ diverse learning styles and to promote hands-on application of practice skills in classroom and field settings. The following innovations were implemented. First, a foundation methods practice course was “flipped”—students viewed online lectures and instructional videos at their own pace prior to class, allowing classroom time to be reserved for collaborative work and case study exercises designed to engage students and deepen their understanding. Second, the Google Application Suite was used in both foundation and advanced masters courses to (a) help bridge the gap between field and classroom through case study dialogues with community practitioners using Google Hangouts video conferencing capability, (b) create an online and in-class learning community using Google+, and (c) promote student collaboration using Google Drive, Documents and Presentation. Third, the integration of newly designed interactive classroom learning spaces and collaborative technology was used to promote a pedagogical shift toward active learning. Implementation and evaluation of these approaches to teaching social work practice are presented.