3 Simple Ways to Flip Your Nursing Class is just what you need.
If Flipping your Nursing class sounds like something from out of space, then continue reading to find out how these 3 simple ways to flip your nursing class can help you to implement flipped learning in the classroom.
“ I was in your shoes too”
Hello colleague, are you struggling to flip your class, don’t even know what flipping your class means, what tools to use or what to do in the class? Stay tuned.
I have been in your shoes. Can you imagine going over your class teaching time on more occasions than you can count?
Well, that was me and I knew that there had to be a method where engagement in the classroom took priority over hours of PowerPoint.
After my frustration, I started doing research and found out about flipped learning. I also found out that there was a Flipped Learning Network that provides training and certification as a Flipped Learning Teacher.
Additionally, I reached out to NurseTim and KeithRN who are successful nursing educator entrepreneurs that provide tools for nursing faculty and students.
NurseTim & KeithRN provided me with tips and/or resources for implementing the flipped learning approach in the nursing classroom.
This was invaluable and shows how we can collaborate to help improve our teaching methods.
Moreover, I got approval from my dean to test the flipped learning method in the class.
There is also a flipped learning textbook by Karen Hessler, a nursing educator, and author.
What did I do with the frustration? Read on…
I did the training and got certified as a Flipped Learning teacher -Level 1.
If you’re wondering if you need to be certified as a flipped learning teacher, NO, you don’t.
You can learn this from reading, watching some videos, and the implementation. This is just something that I wanted.
What is Flipped Learning?
According to the Flip Learning Network, flipped learning, “ is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction from the group learning space to the individual learning space and the resulting group space is transformed”.
Persons that popularized flip learning were John Bergman who is the founder of the Flip Learning Network, Aaron Sams, and Salim Khan of Khan Academy.
Flipping the class enables the student to listen to the audio or watch the videos multiple times at their leisure before and after class. Then apply it in class.
Yes, repetition equals retention.
Don’t be dismayed, help is here.
I can teach you how to flip your nursing class in the simplest way possible, thus avoiding all the pitfalls that I experienced and obtain successful student learning outcomes.
Let’s get this started in here.., ready, set go.
1.Using creative videos and/or audios to flip your nursing class
There are several modes of delivery to send the classwork to your students ahead of time to enhance flipping your class. One of them is using creative videos and or audio to record the information.
You can send either videos and/or audios at the beginning of the semester (this is preferred) or at least 2 weeks before that concept or system will be covered.
Whether or not you can use video and or audios depends on the college or university supplies for the faculty. Or you may need to purchase these on your own.
When I first began flipping my class, I bought my own tripod and was using my smartphone, but found out that my college provided audio and video tools to faculty to record for their classes.
Moreover, the college provided training on how to record videos for classes.
Yes, I took all the classes on audios and videos.
The college also had software embedded in the Learning Management System (LMS) that can grade the questions on the videos and import it to the grade book.
But this is a choice. I set it up where the questions could be graded, but not imported to the grade book.
Once I found out about this, I did most of my recordings at the college. Woohoo!
1 a: Have a plan of how and when you will record your audios and videos
Record in an area that is quiet and where no one will distract you from the times that you will be recording. At the college where I worked, there were rooms to record.
For your videos, your desktop and background should not have anything there that you don’t want others to see. So, ensure that you close browsers and clean up your desktop.
How long and how many audios and videos do I need?
Additionally, do not record one single audio or video for more than 30 minutes. Keep it at 10-15 minutes each. For instance, a concept or topic about Pneumonia will require 4 -5 audios and or videos, because most of the applications from the video or audio will be done in the class.
Your students will lose focus if you go beyond this time too.
Ask me how I know? Yes, I made that mistake too, years ago.
Review the video or audio for errors.
Review your video for any errors before posting for your students. Add captions to your videos to comply with the American Disability Act.
Moreover, make sure you look presentable on your videos if you will be showing your face or body. We still want to display professionalism.
Also, there’s no need to record until you reach perfection. Just do it!
Modulate your voice so that the students can hear you clearly. Increase your voice pitch to emphasize important points in the recordings.
2. Embed NCLEX style- questions in your recordings to flip your nursing class
Many colleges have software like Screencast embedded in the LMS that can grade the questions on the videos and import it to the grade book.
But this is a choice. I set it up where the questions could be graded, but not imported to the grade book.
Incorporating NCLEX style questions in your audios and videos allows the student to interact with the material and increases engagement.
The experts agree that you should have interactive activities every 2-4 minutes on video or during face-face instructions to decrease the monotony and increase critical thinking, thus using NCLEX questions sure checks off this box.
You can have NCLEX questions that are: multiple choice, fill in the blanks, SATA, embed additional short audio or videos after a certain section like the patho, or nursing interventions.
Example
Let’s look at an example of how you can carry out this action on your video or audio on two aspects of Pneumonia after discussing it: the nursing interventions and treatment.
You can include 3 fill in the blank questions. In this way, the student has to state 3 priority nursing interventions and rationale for a pneumonia patient experiencing shortness of breath.
These types of questions mimic the NCLEX® questions and will prepare the students to pass their unit exams and ultimately their boards.
This, in turn, leads to successful student outcomes in the way they take care of patients as well.
Do you see the possibility now of how flipping your nursing classroom can improve successful student learning outcomes?
3.When the students come back to class after watching or listening to videos and audios
So, when you have a class next time the students come back, you should go over the material briefly. Be sure to emphasize critical areas that you sent them via video or audio.
But, first, find out if they have any questions or concerns about the information on the videos or audios.
Remember, you’re not supposed to teach everything you already sent to students on the video or audio unless you see that most or the entire class are struggling with the material.
Accordingly, the purpose of the flipped learning approach is so that you flip or change the ways things are normally done in the nursing classroom.
Why send the students the videos an audios in advance
By sending the students all the material ahead of time to view on their own time, it alleviates you from covering every bit of the material in the class again.
An engaging activity that also flips the class
Out of the 3 simple ways to flip your nursing class for successful outcomes, this engaging activity is the test to determine how effective it is.
So, the main thing now that they’re in the class -is engagement-after you’ve briefly gone over the material and answered questions.
You can now put the nursing students in groups of 3-4 to work on a Pneumonia Case study to apply what they have learned from audios and videos and any clarifications from you.
This part of the class should take up most of the class time.
Even more important, is to have them listen to breath sounds on a manikin that is described in the case study to make it more concrete or “ make it stick”.
Before the class ends
Before the class ends, ask each student to give you one thing they learned from this engaging activity.
Once the students have left, you do need to do a debriefing of the class. This entails you reviewing what went well, the students’ feedback, and what you can do better next time.
Summarizing
Here are the 3 simple ways we covered in this blog to flip your nursing class
- Recording the information on audio or videos for the students to use at their leisure before and after class. This improves retention.
- Embedding NCLEX questions throughout the audio or video mimic the board exams and allow them to interact with the material and to “connect the dots”.
- Once the students come back to class, have them work on a case study related to the material on the audio or video to facilitate engagement and critical thinking.
Check out my blog on 4 ways to engage your nursing class online for more tips.
I know what you’re saying now, it’s a lot of work. But like everything else, once you get all of this work done at the beginning, keep tweaking it, then the rest of the semester flows more seamlessly for you and the students.
Implementation for you
- Apply one of the 3 ways to flip your next nursing class for successful student learning outcomes and share it with me in the comment section.
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”
-Art Williams
She can help you with strategies to achieve engaging classroom and corporate presentations. She has worked as a college professor, corporate trainer, as an RN in areas such as medical-surgical, emergency room, telemetry, behavioral health, and geriatrics for more than 15 years.
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