Developing and Deploying Flipped Classroom Resources for Renewable Energy Technicians

This paper presents an alternative format of instructional delivery called a flipped classroom employed by Columbia Gorge Community Colleges’ Renewable Energy Technology program. The flipped classroom approach to instruction uses educational technology to deliver instruction outside the class and activity based learning and lab exercises inside the class. Students watch lectures at the time and place of their own choosing at their own pace and concept engagement and application takes place in the classroom with the guidance of an instructor. There are several benefits to teaching technical subjects using this delivery format, namely students are offered more control over instructional delivery, the activity based exercises promote student centered learning and collaboration, and the material is made accessible at all times. An online lecture allows a student to learn at their own pace and pause, rewind, revisit, and review material as necessary. Class time in front of a whiteboard is exchanged for lab time with the guidance of an instructor allowing more hands on time with special equipment and instrumentation. The repository of online lectures is available at all times allowing a degree of flexibility for those students with work or family obligations. A complete, clear, and consistent path is at all times laid out for the P ge 26494.2 student, clearly indicating what skills must be mastered at what times for success in a course using the flipped classroom approach. The lab hardware necessary to teach the content delivered in these lectures does not extend beyond that ordinarily found in a traditional electronics lab. Course management software is a recommended means of organizing the content and scheduling activities. Discussion starts with a review of the challenges faced by both educators and students when teaching and learning technical subjects. Then, the development of the flipped classroom resources is described in detail along with the hardware employed and time commitment necessary as well as recommendations and best practices for the deployment of these resources for a technical program including recommended lab resources. The success of this delivery format has been assessed through a student survey about their perceptions of a hybrid technical course employing online lectures to support a hardware lab.