Sophia Survey Finds Student Grades Improve When Teachers "Flip" Their Classroom

MINNEAPOLIS, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 85 percent of teachers who have used the "flipped" classroom model said they saw improvement in student grades, according to a recent study of more than 400 teachers who use Sophia, an innovative online social education platform. Half of the teachers surveyed have "flipped" their classroom and nearly all who have would recommend the new teaching trend to others.

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The study surveyed teachers about the flipped classroom – a relatively new teaching method that reverses the traditional homework model. In the flipped classroom, students watch multimedia tutorials as homework and then use valuable class time to complete assignments when teachers are available to provide one-on-one assistance and delve deeper into a concept.

"These statistics show that teachers who have tried the flipped classroom are finding it extremely valuable for reaching their students," said Steve Anastasi, interim CEO of Sophia. "Sophia makes it easy for teachers to flip their classroom because they can either draw content from Sophia, which offers the most robust library of tutorials on the web today, or use tools available on the site to develop their own tutorials and share them with their class or more broadly to benefit others."

Sophia recently expanded its platform to offer more than 25,000 free academic tutorials, created by hundreds of teachers and educational enthusiasts and taught in a multitude of ways through a mixture of text, audio, video, slideshows and more. The site also provides tools and instructional training for teachers around the country who are using the flipped classroom model or who want to learn more.

The survey also found:

• Nearly 30 percent of teachers surveyed who have flipped their classroom said the method allows them to use valuable class time to delve deeper into topics.
• One-fourth of teachers who have flipped their classroom see it as a way to connect with students who are using technology outside the classroom.
• 23 percent believe their flipped classroom has enabled them to transform their class from a lecture-type forum to an interactive learning environment.

In addition, nearly 100 percent of teachers surveyed support the use of online resources as a way to integrate technology into the teaching process.

"It is exciting and powerful to hear about the effectiveness of using new methods of teaching that integrate technology from teachers who are in the classroom on a daily basis," Anastasi said. "We developed Sophia to personalize the education process by providing students with many different ways to learn and enabling teachers to meet the individual needs of their students so they can learn the way they learn best."

Sophia Introduces Flipped Classroom Certification and Other Resources for Teachers
More than 80 percent of teachers surveyed who haven't tried flipping their classroom reported they want to learn more. Sophia has developed several resources for teachers including a series of free webinars [available at http://sophialearning.eventbrite.com] that feature teachers who are currently flipping the classroom.

Sophia also has developed a free professional development program in partnership with Capella University that will enable teachers to earn a Flipped Classroom Certificate. To earn the certificate, teachers complete a series of tutorials on several topics including "The Teaching Paradigm Shift," "Differentiation Via the Flipped Class" and more. The Flipped Class Certificate is endorsed by Capella University and was developed in collaboration with School of Education [http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/profession/k-12_ed.aspx] faculty. The Flipped Classroom Certification is available online at www.sophia.com/flip.

The online survey was conducted February 14 – 19, 2012.

About Sophia

Sophia is a first-of-its-kind social education platform that offers students many ways to learn by making free, credible academic content available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The site offers more than 25,000 tutorials created by hundreds of teachers and experts taught in a variety of ways. The platform further enhances the learning process by offering quizzes, assessing learning preferences and providing learning paths that lead students from one topic to the next so students of all ages can learn the way they learn best. Sophia is owned by Capella Education Company. For more information, visit www.sophia.org.

SOURCE Sophia