Abstract
The urgent need for a worldwide workforce trained in gerontology (Silverstein, N. M., & Fitzgerald, K. G. (2017). Educating a new generation of professionals in agingworldwide. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 38, 1-4) has lead for a call by gerontology educators to employ creative, innovative, novel, and engaging pedagogy in gerontological education (Brown,P. P. (2016). From pedagogy to practice: Adventures in student engagement. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 37, 105-107; Niles-Yokum, K., & Howe, J. L. (2015). Making aging real through reflective teaching and learning strategies. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 36, 107–108; Siegal, B., & Kagan, S. (2012). Teaching psychological and social gerontology to millennial undergraduates. Educational Gerontology, 38, 20–29). This article outlines a novel approach to teaching—combining the flipped classroom with project-based learning—that not only fosters deep learning but also fosters the development of skills applicable to real life. This article describes how to turn traditional lectures into online lectures to “flip” the classroom and also provides a guide for setting up project-based learning, providing suggestions for group formation, project topics, and examples of project contracts and evaluation sheets. When employed together, these powerful teaching tools can provide students with an active, participatory, class experience with the potential to inspire a lifelong interest in adult development and gerontology.
Increased longevity, described as an inevitable companion of modernity (Shield & Besdine, 2011) is transforming the demographics of populations worldwide. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of people in the world aged 60 years or above is projected to grow by 56%, from 901 million to 1.4 billion (United Nations, 2016). Consequently, there is an urgent need for a worldwide workforce trained in gerontology (Silverstein & Fitzgerald, 2017) However, it is widely believed that this need will go unmet, resulting in a shortage of skilled gerontological specialists across academia, practice, research, policy, community, and other settings (Niles-Yokum & Howe, 2015; Silverstein & Fitzgerald, 2017).
To meet the need for workers trained in gerontology, practitioners and researchers have called for an international increase in efforts to develop and expand education in gerontology and geriatrics (Perkinson, 2013). Expanded training and course offerings, however, may not be enough to meet the need for a gerontologically trained workforce. It is often hard to attract undergraduate students to adulthood and aging courses, and those who do enroll are unlikely to pursue careers in aging. This may be due, in part, to fears of their own aging, negative attitudes toward and stereotypes about older adults, and inadequate understanding of the aging process (Merz et al., 2018). Consequently, educators should aim to inspire students to take an interest in older adults and aging (Niles-Yokum & Howe, 2015), encourage students to think about development as a lifelong process and to recognize some of the benefits and opportunities that advanced age provides. In order to achieve this goal, educators need to first attract students to their classes, and then, once they are there, help students develop a connection to the material and engage them deeply in learning.
The difficulty in attracting people into gerontology focused careers begins early. Attracting and engaging traditional students at 2 and 4-year undergraduate institutions to adulthood and aging courses is a hard sell. While students may benefit from learning about the topic—not only for future employment prospects but also because the topic relates to their developmental future—they tend to feel disinterested or uncomfortable with the subject matter (Siegal & Kagan, 2012). Consequently, if we wish to engage students from all backgrounds (e.g., traditional/non-traditional) and at all levels (e.g., undergraduate/graduate), in gerontological education, we need to employ creative, innovative, novel, and engaging pedagogy to draw students into the field (Brown, 2016; Niles-Yokum & Howe, 2015; Siegal & Kagan, 2012).
In this article, I will outline and provide materials for a mode of teaching that I believe is creative, innovative, novel, and engaging, that can be applied to developmental classes being taught across the lifespan. Specifically, I describe how to use a combination of the flipped classroom and project-based learning to engage students and provide a deep experience that moves well beyond traditional lectures and rote memorization. Below, I briefly describe the flipped classroom model and project-based learning. I will then discuss how to integrate these two teaching models to form a novel, innovative, and engaging approach to teaching adulthood and aging.
The Flipped Classroom
The flipped classroom refers to a model of instruction in which instructors reverse, or “flip,” their classes such that lectures traditionally given during class periods are watched by students outside of class, while work traditionally completed outside of class (e.g., homework) is completed in class. Specifically, lecture material is posted online for students to watch prior to class, and class time is used to complete activities that help deepen understanding of the lecture or that apply lecture content to other areas of psychology or real-life psychological problems. This student-centered approach reimagines the classroom experience such that it is the student rather than the instructor who is active during class time (Zainuddin & Halili, 2016)
There are a number of benefits of flipped classroom models for students. First, as lectures are prerecorded, students benefit from being able to control the pace of lectures. Specifically, students can tailor their course experience by watching and rewatching lecture material that they may not fully understand while speeding through materials that they do understand. Because students can engage with the lectures in a way that matches their comprehension and/or ability levels means that this approach is suitable for courses in which students are of mixed ability levels. A second benefit of the flipped model is that students are able to rewatch lectures as they prepare for exams. This eliminates the need for review sessions. A third benefit of the flipped model is that students need not miss important lectures due to illness, travel, or inclement weather. The lectures are always available online and are not impacted by university closures or professors’ conference travel. Fourth, because lectures are recorded, students have the ability to download and keep the lectures so that they can rewatch them after the class has ended. This may especially benefit students who intend to go into a field that is related to the class (e.g., adulthood and aging lectures may be useful for students planning to become social workers). Being able to keep and rewatch lectures would also benefit students planning on taking standardized tests that include questions on class content, such as the psychology GRE or the MCATs. Finally, in my experience at least, students enjoy the flipped model. Students in my classes have overwhelming responded positively to the flipped classroom, and the flipped classroom is consistently listed as a course strength in my course evaluations. For example, in a course evaluation, one student shared: “I liked the flipped classroom. I liked being able to do the lectures on my own time and then having discussions in class or using it to work on projects.” Another student wrote “Good use of class time that places lectures as homework so class time can be spent in conversation with active discourse.” One student noted that having the lectures online helped them to focus: “(I) enjoyed the lectures online because I have trouble paying attention in classes to long lectures, so doing it online was much better because I could take breaks as needed.”
Faculty also benefit from using a flipped classroom model. In traditional teaching models, activities that encourage deeper understanding and the application of knowledge gleaned from the lecture are assigned as homework to be completed outside of class time. In this traditional model, students may struggle alone to understand and apply concepts. By using the flipped model, instructors can help the student comprehend and connect ideas by providing the student opportunity to engage in deeper learning in the classroom where the class instructor can help the student through the material. Specifically, using the flipped model instructors are able to delve deeper into topics and assess how well students are able to apply lecture information to concrete activities. Additionally, in the flipped classroom instructors are able to use class time to address student’s questions in greater depth. Finally, similarly to students, faculty need not miss lectures due to illness, conference travel, or when they are unable to make it to campus in the case of inclement weather.
Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning refers to an instructional model in which students develop knowledge and skills by completing one or more projects across a week, month, semester, or year. These projects are not tacked on to a traditional course as an assignment, but rather are the main focus of the class (Jacobson, 2018). In project-based classes, students engage in hands-on learning and problem-solving around real-world problems. Specifically, students collaborate with one another to produce a product with real-world applications, such as curricula, policy or research papers, podcasts, documentaries, websites, educational literature, or board games, to name a few examples. Rather than relying on lectures and rote memorization of facts, project-based classes are interactive and dynamic, and students are able to assess their own performance and that of their teammates. Project-based classes promote the development and enhancement of diverse skills, including, but not limited to, collaboration, writing, researching, interviewing, and presenting. As many of the projects developed by students are technologically based (e.g., podcasts, online videos) students may also develop expertise in technological tools. These practical skills are developed alongside a deep knowledge of the class topic.
There are a number of benefits of project-based learning for students. First, as classes are active and projects incorporate student interests, students remain engaged with course material. One student, in course evaluations, reported: “The project-based class was efficient because I was never bored or lost interest because of a lecture.” Learning course material is no longer static and directed toward passing a test or exam, but rather is dynamic and critical to the success of a chosen project. Second, if students work on projects in teams, they are presented with the opportunity to learn how to successfully collaborate with one another. Students learn how to harness strengths and compensate for weaknesses in themselves and their teammates. Rather than asking all students to complete all tasks (e.g., every student must present a final project), I allow students to fairly and equitably delegate different tasks to different team members so that students can contribute the most in their areas of strength. By doing this consciously, students are able to appreciate how different team members bring different skills to the group and can learn how to effectively work in a group setting. Third, students learn how to apply rather than just absorb knowledge. This demonstrates to them the applicability of their courses to real-life contexts. Fourth, as noted above, students learn not just course content, but new skills, including multimedia skills that equip them with the tools that are increasingly crucial for success in 21st century careers. Finally, because most modern workers’ careers will be comprised of a series of projects, rather than years of service (Schuetz, 2018), project-based classes provide students with an experience that will be directly applicable to their future careers. As is evidenced in all the benefits of project-based learning described above, students learn behaviors and skills that are applicable to real life, preparing them for life after graduation. In addition to these main benefits of project-based classes, it is worth noting that students enjoy these classes. Students in my project-based classes tell me that the class is their favorite and that they look forward to attending. In course evaluations, students reported: “I was able to have hands on experience, interact with my peers, and learn from the people around me” and “the project-based learning course promoted research and interest and creativity which I felt as though made me become a better person.”
Students are not the only people who reap benefits from project-based classes. Project-based learning also provides a number of benefits for faculty. First, faculty do not have to produce and repeat lectures that may feel dry and repetitive when the same courses are taught from semester to semester. Second, faculty get to spend more time engaging one on one with students in their project groups and can individualize and guide students’ educational journeys. By engaging one on one, faculty get to know their students better, developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships. Third, faculty may also benefit from learning new skills alongside their students. For example, if a student group decides to record a podcast, the faculty member, in supporting their students, may also develop some of these skills. Finally, faculty, like students, may find their project-based classes enjoyable and fun. Grading creative, multimedia projects that are all different from one another takes some of the tedium out of the assessment.
In sum, project-based learning provides a number of benefits over traditional lecture courses that may promote engagement in adulthood and aging courses. In order to be successful in this type of class, students must delve deeply into a topic. They may find that this deep learning sparks a life-long interest in and passion for topics related to adulthood and aging.
Combining the Flipped Classroom and Project-Based Learning in Gerontology Education
The rest of this article will outline how to combine the flipped classroom and project-based learning to enhance the teaching of an adulthood and aging class. Below, I will detail how to develop a flipped classroom and will discuss the basic set up of a project-based learning class, including group cohesion activities, project contracts, and sample projects.
Setting Up the Flipped Classroom
As noted above, the flipped classroom is an approach to teaching in which course material, in this case, lectures, are completed outside of class, freeing up time in class for activities or projects. In my classes, I flip the classroom by recording my lectures and making them available on my institution’s course management system. Before recording, I prepare lectures as I would for a traditional lecture class using presentation software (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Prezi, google slides). I then record my lectures using screen-cast-o-matic, a simple to use online video recording software that has both free and paid options (screencastomatic.com). I present the material as I would in class, but in smaller, 10-minute to 15-minute segments. I give each segment a name and part number (e.g., Retirement, Part 1). Breaking the lecture into segments has a number of benefits. First, students can take breaks and spread the lectures out over a period of time. This enables students to tailor the pace of the lectures to their own specific learning needs and abilities. Second, having segmented lectures benefits students who may have trouble focusing for long periods of time as students are able to choose how much they watch at any given time. Third, students can pause between lecture segments enabling them to process information from the lecture and review what they have learned before moving on to the next segment. Finally, having the lectures in segments makes it easier for students to go back and review specific topics that they may not have fully grasped the first time, with minimal searching and without having to re-watch an entire lecture that they largely understand. As the instructor, I have found it very helpful to be able to send a student to the precise lecture segment that answers the question that they have. This is especially useful when students are reviewing questions that they missed or answered incorrectly in the exam.
For the faculty member, recording the lectures is the most time-intensive component of setting up a flipped project-based course. Faculty need to first prepare their lectures, as they would for a traditional class, and then record themselves giving the lectures in a quiet room. Quizzes have to be created based on each of the lectures. While preparing and recording the lectures feels time intensive, it does not take much more time than preparing and giving lectures live. Moreover, after the initial start-up cost of recording lectures outside of class time, this model may be less time intensive than more traditional modes of teaching as, the lectures can be reused for a couple of years, reducing the time spent on course preparation.
As noted above, the prerecorded lectures are all posted on a learning management system that I use to organize all my class materials. To ensure that students are watching the lectures outside of class prior to the class meeting, I mandate that they take a brief, ten question, five-point online quiz on the lecture content before coming to class. This ensures that students show up to class ready to apply the knowledge that they learned in the lectures to their projects and/or class discussion.
Overall, students report enjoying the flipped classroom model. They appreciate having the ability to go at their own pace and feel as though they benefit from being able to go back over the lectures before taking an exam. As an instructor, I benefit from this as well, as I have fewer questions relating to content, and if students ask me for a definition that was given in a recorded lecture, I can refer them back to the exact lecture and segment number (e.g., cognition part 4). Another benefit that has been shared with me by several students is having the option to watch lectures at a time that works for them. Specifically, students are able to watch lectures at times when they feel best able to focus. For example, one student told me that if he had to sit through a lecture during the time I taught the class (9:25 a.m.), he would be too tired to focus. He chose to watch the lectures late in the evening when he felt more awake and able to concentrate. Without a lecture, the class period was dynamic and active, and students were required to be actively engaged as they participated in activities. The student said that these dynamic activities held his attention and keeping him from feeling sleepy—even at 9:25 a.m.
Setting Up a Project-Based Learning Class
Once traditional class activities, such as lectures, are posted online and are available for students to watch for homework, class time can be devoted to projects. My project-based class is set up such that students complete two smaller projects over the course of one semester. I chose to do two smaller projects instead of one larger project for two reasons. First, I wanted my students to have the opportunity to learn in depth about two different topics and this is facilitated by requiring students to complete two different projects. Second, I wanted my students to have the opportunity to make mistakes during their first project that they could learn from and subsequently strive to avoid in their second project. Being able to anticipate and plan for potential obstacles in their second project and being able to see improvement in their own performance from project one to project two allows students to build confidence and self-efficacy.
Projects are completed in groups of three that students are assigned to based on the results from Gallup Strengthsfinder. Instructors can decide whether they wish to students to remain in the same groups across the semester or change from project one to project two. Below, I will detail the structure of my project-based classes.
Assigning Groups
As noted above, students in my classes complete projects in groups of three. Groups could be randomly assigned, however, I chose to use Gallup Strengthfinder (https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx) to assign students to project groups based on strengths. Gallup Strengthsfinder is an online assessment that identifies between 5 and 34 strengths based on people’s responses to 177 personality test style questions. Those who take the online assessment are provided with a detailed description of each of their strengths and are encouraged to reflect on how these strengths impact how they interact with others.
I require that my students take the student version of the Strengthsfinder assessment that provides them with their top five strengths. I use students’ strengths to assign them to a three-person project group where members have differing but complementary strengths. I also use Strengthsfinder to encourage students to think realistically about where their strengths lie. Specifically, I ask students to reflect on their strengths and to think about how their strengths can be an asset, but also to identify how a particular strength may need to be tempered in certain situations. For example, someone who is very strong on information gathering will find their strength as an asset when a group is gathering sources for their project. However, at some point, the groups’ effort will need to turn from information gathering to producing, and at this point, the person who likes to gather information will need to control their desire to keep doing so. At this point, if the groups are well matched, a person whose strength is action will step in and move the project to the next level.
As well as having students consider their strengths in isolation, I also have students consider their strengths as they relate to their group. I ask students to discuss with their group what they do well and can be counted on for (e.g., gathering sources) and what they feel less comfortable doing and might need support with (moving to action). This way students can have a frank discussion before starting the project to set expectations for their teammates about what assets they bring to the group, and where they might need someone else to either offer support or “tag in.” Students then are also able to understand who brings what to the group before embarking on their projects.
Project Selection
After students have been assigned to their groups and have spent time discussing their strengths, they then select a project. I provide them with a list of suggestions (see supplemental material appendix A) that I came up with, but encourage them to go off list and develop their own ideas for a class project that interests and inspires them. After they have selected a project, students must develop a timeline for the project. The purpose of the timeline is to keep them on track with their project and to help them develop time management skills.
Project Contracts
When assigning group projects in class in the past, I noticed that students would often complain to me about group members either not doing their parts or overstepping their bounds and taking over another student’s task before they had the chance to get to it. To avoid this, I have each group complete a contract (see supplemental material appendix B) that documents who is responsible for each component of the project, and how many points group members will lose for failing to complete their piece, or for completing someone else’s piece before a designated due date. Specifically, the contract lists out each individual task that needs to be completed. Each task is assigned to a group member, with a corresponding point award value for task completion and point deduction value for failure to complete the task. Students in the group work on the contract together and when completed sign to indicate that they are bound by the responsibilities and point values laid out in the contract.
Project Assignments
Because lectures are delivered online, class time is dedicated to developing the group project. As the professor, I spend class time checking in with students, monitoring progress and asking students what they need help with. Because I spend time interacting with students individually, I am able to get to know the students on a deeper level than I have found possible with a traditional lecture-based course.
My project-based classes include assignments completed alongside the project to ensure that students are developing skills that are associated with traditional classes, such as writing skills and information literacy. To this end, students have to find 15 outside sources that inform the development of their project, highlighting the importance of any product being evidence based. Once students have the sources, they use them to write an annotated bibliography. Students also do a quick check-in presentation to update the class on their project progress. As well as providing motivation to maintain project momentum, this check-in also provides students with an opportunity to solicit help and ideas from their student colleagues. For example, students have used this presentation to ask the class a question about a particular idea or technological tool. Students have also used these presentations to find extras for their documentaries or YouTube videos and to find interview participants.
Project Presentation
At the conclusion of 6 weeks working on a project, students present their final product in a poster session. Students make a trifold poster that describes the project process and interpersonal successes and challenges and present their final product in front of the poster. The poster sessions are open to the whole college to attend. This way proud students can invite friends to attend, and faculty, staff, and administrators interested in project-based learning can come and learn about the process and ask the students first-hand about the experience. Because people from outside the class are present, the poster session has a celebratory air about it, and there is a sense of achievement as poster session attendees and the students themselves explore the projects developed by the class.
Reflection and Self-Evaluation
The class following the project poster presentation is set aside for completing the project contract—students look back over and assign points to group members based on whether or not they met their commitments as outlined in the contract at the start of the project—and for general reflection and self-evaluation. Students write a reflection about how the project went for them, reflecting on interpersonal processes, how they felt they performed, and what they learned. They then complete a self-evaluation form (see supplemental material appendix C).
Conclusion
In an attempt to inspire students to take a lifelong interest in older adults and aging (Niles-Yokum & Howe, 2015), educators need to attract students to their classes, and then, once they are there, engage them deeply in learning and help students develop a connection to the material. To this end, there has been a call by gerontology educators to employ creative, innovative, novel, and engaging pedagogy in gerontological education (Brown, 2016; Niles-Yokum & Howe, 2015; Siegal & Kagan, 2012).
In this article, I have outlined a teaching approach that I believe is a creative, innovative, novel, and engaging way to provide gerontology education that simultaneously fosters deep learning and the development of skills applicable in real life. Integrating the flipped classroom model and project-based learning gives students an active, participatory class experience that has the potential to inspire students to take an interest in adult development and gerontology.
Supplemental Material
Supplementary Material 1 - Supplemental material for Flipping Out and Digging in: Combining the Flipped Class and Project-Based Learning to Teach Adult Development
Supplemental material, Supplementary Material 1, for Flipping Out and Digging in: Combining the Flipped Class and Project-Based Learning to Teach Adult Development by and Clare M. Mehta in The International Journal of Aging and Human Development
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Author Biography
References
Supplementary Material
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