Flipped classroom: Promote student-centered learning in social work practice courses

Abstract

Background: Flipped classroom marks a paradigm shift in pedagogy – from that of teacher-directed instruction to student-centered learning (Watson & Reigeluth, 2008). In the flipped classroom arrangement, students can review the content of the lectures outside class through watching videos, listening to podcasts, and reading articles (Milman, 2012; Mill, 2012). The valuable time in classroom can be used to deepen students’ learning by encouraging interactions between students and teachers.

Training on clinical skills is an essential part of social work education. The Department of Social Work of the Chinese University of Hong Kong had made an attempt to flip the traditional approach in teaching clinical skills. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of the flipped classroom on students’ acquisition of practical skills.

Results: A total of sixty-one students participated in the study. The t-test results comparing the pre- and post-MCQs scores indicated that there was statistically significant improvement in students’ professional knowledge about interviewing. About 75% of students were satisfied with the learning and 73.8% considered the video contributed to their learning, the teachers shared that the time in class could be used in a more productive way. They do not need to elaborate on the concepts that students had already acquired. Instead, the lecture time could be used to guide student to discuss further on more advanced application of the knowledge and skills. From the information of the pre- and post-MCQs, the teachers understood which knowledge that students cound be adequately grasp, so that more clarification could be conducted in class. This presentation shares the flipped classroom teaching experiences in social work teaching.