The “Flipped” Latin Classroom: A Case Study

For several years I have taught first-semester Latin. Our department uses Balme and Morwood’s The Oxford Latin Course (published by Oxford University Press), which employs a reading-based approach: that is, an approach centered on developing the skill of translating extended texts from Latin into English. In each chapter, students are assigned one or more Latin texts (“readings”) created for their level of expertise; they translate them in conjunction with learning new vocabulary as well as grammatical concepts (which are presented separately in the textbook along with associated exercises and contextual details related to the readings). A significant portion of time (around 50% or more) is spent reviewing the translation of the readings in class. Instructors using this textbook may elect to use an “inductive” approach, whereby there is little grammar explanation prior to reviewing the reading, or a more traditional approach of presenting the grammar prior to reviewing the reading.¹ I prefer the latter method, since I have found that students can more easily translate the readings if they have a basic understanding of the new grammatical concepts.

Traditionally I have supplemented the grammar explanations in the textbook with my own lectures as a way to introduce each chapter. In the fall of 2013, I decided to experiment with “flipping” my classroom. Since I had switched in the previous fall semester (2012) to the new 2012 College Edition of the textbook, I decided to specifically compare exam and retention results in 2012 and 2013. Although the exam schedule was slightly different, both classes ended up in the same chapter in the textbook by the end of the semester and the exams themselves were similarly structured from one year to the next, with the final exam being almost identical.

Flipped or inverted instruction is a pedagogical method whereby the instructor provides content for the students to review prior to class (such as a recorded presentation or reading) and then requires the students while they are in the classroom to engage more actively in application tasks (such as exercises or discussions) rather than passively listen to a lecture.² Flipped learning is not a new concept and is gradually becoming more accepted within the college classroom; studies have shown overall improvement in student performance with this method of instruction.³ One of the most important elements of flipped learning is replacing the classroom lecture with activities that are more worthwhile in terms of student learning. These activities can take many forms, but active engagement with the instructor and peers in problem solving and the opportunity for discussion are two critical components.⁴

When I deliver lectures about new topics in class, diligent students will have read the chapter ahead of time, be attentive and take notes in class, and not hesitate to ask questions. Even the best students, however, can have trouble staying focused during an entire lecture, and that problem is more pronounced with students who are tired, stressed, or have other attention issues (such as learning disabilities), and even worse for students with poor attendance and study habits. As a teacher I also have less time to spend applying new concepts when I deliver a lecture in class, so my choice is either to abbreviate the lecture or not do as much practice. I adopted the flipped method of instruction in order to give the students more exposure to, and practice with, the material, which I hoped would lead to higher test scores and better overall retention.

Having developed and taught a number of fully online courses, I am familiar with how to create recorded lectures, and this is what made me first consider implementing them in my face-to-face courses. For the most part I replaced in-class lectures with relatively short, recorded lectures, although I still review and lecture briefly in class as needed to clarify a topic or reading, or to provide more information. The recorded lectures highlight the most essential elements of the new chapter. These lectures often cover concepts in greater depth than the textbook, with more examples, so that the lectures both complement and...