New Global Program to Protect Flipped Learning From Bad Technology Choices

CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Flipped Learning Global Initiative (FLGI), a worldwide coalition of educators, researchers, technologists, professional development providers and education leaders announced the first pillar of a new program created to help Flipped Learning teachers, administrators, and IT staff make sound technology choices.  The program begins with education, and launched with a free training course called, How to Avoid the 17 Deadly Sins of Flipped Learning Technology Selection.  The course covers the vital considerations that should be part of making any technology purchase for flipped learning. Whether the school is in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Spain, India, Argentina or Dubai, the program is relevant and essential. The free online course is available to the worldwide flipped learning community at http://learn.FLGlobal.org and covers a pivotal checklist including:

• Initial Cost
• Infrastructure Requirements
• Customization Cost
• Technology Compatibility and Integration
• Scaleability
• Learning Curve
• Training Options
• Student Safety
• Hidden Cost
• Cultural Compatibility
• Technology Life Cycle and Obsolescence
• Switching Cost

The course is based on the best insights drawn from FLGI's global cohort of flipped learning researchers, flipped master teachers and flipped learning technologists. The 19 unit condensed course is the critical first piece of a larger initiative set to launch the end January.

"Nothing can kill a flipped learning program more quickly than the selection of expensive, complex technology that is poorly suited to flipped learning. The education technology graveyards are littered with the remains of tools, programs, and gizmos that teachers couldn't or wouldn't use," said Jon Bergmann, one of the pioneers of the flipped learning movement.  "I've seen too many Flipped Learning efforts fail because of massively misguided technology choices."

The supply of flipped learning software and hardware solutions is rapidly growing and on course to be a two billion dollar industry in three years. The explosion of technology options is a double-edged sword for flipped learning practitioners.  On the downside, complexity and the pace of change creates potential pitfalls that have led to several high profile missteps.

Solution providers are also impacted as education technology buyers have become more cautious. "It's clear to us that well-informed flipped learning consumers are good for both technology developers, and the successful adoption of flipped learning worldwide," said Bergmann.

About the Flipped Learning Global Initiative

The Flipped Learning Global Initiative, (FLGI), was created to support the rapidly expanding adoption of flipped learning all over the world in countries such as China, Taiwan, Spain, UAE, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy, Korea, Argentina, Iceland, Sweden, India and the United States. FLGI aims to fill the growing global need for collaboration across borders in three domains: evolving best practices in flipped learning, research curation and distribution, and technology selection and implementation.

FLGI launched with 30 mission partners, including MT Groupo in Spain; TES Global in the United Kingdom; IWBNet in Australia and New Zealand; iSchool in Taiwan, BenQ in China, Udemy, BAM Education Radio Network in the United States, Klounge in Korea; and a cadre of flipped learning research experts.

For more information contact: Errol St.Clair Smith, Director of Global Development at 949-677-7381, [email protected] or go to www.flglobal.org.

SOURCE Flipped Learning Global Initiative

Related Links

http://www.flglobal.org