Miami University's inverted classroom for Marketing 291: Principles of Marketing in Fall 2008 is a good beginning for incorporating the use of technology in the classroom, but as with any new program, there is always room for improvement. The new type of inverted classroom reverses the typical classroom setting with lectures done via video outside of class and group work done during scheduled classroom meeting times. The program allows for students to revisit lectures when studying so they can cover any confusing material again or watch a lecture missed while absent, yet The Miami Student editorial board remains concerned with some aspects of the program.
The program has too much potential for students to ride through a class on the work of others and could harm relationships between students and teachers. Every professor creates a classroom dynamic by engaging students during lectures and questioning them on class assignments and readings.
The editorial board recognizes and applauds Miami's initiative to use technology more effectively in the classroom, but worries the program could harm personal relations between professors and students. During group projects, professors get to know the group as a whole, not the individual students in each group. Professors should schedule meeting times during class to have individual evaluations with students so they get to know them as more than a member of a group. These individual conferences could focus on the students' progress in the class, how they are learning from the model and allow both professors and students the opportunity to get acquainted with each other on a more personal level.
The video lectures also need to be engaging, not just a professor speaking to a camera in front of a white office wall. Miami's libraries have staff who are proficient in various media programs like Final Cut Pro. Professors could team with library staff to create interactive and engaging videos to stimulate students. Miami students also may be tempted to multitask during the videos if they are not held accountable for the points of the lectures.
Professors could create worksheets to accompany the lectures with discussion questions and points of interest. Students could come to class prepared to discuss these points with their group and the class as a whole. By holding each student accountable for their own work, professors can decrease the temptation of multitasking or skimming through a video.
The program needs to steer clear of becoming too much like an online course, and students must be required to attend class, participate actively and not rely on the work of fellow classmates. The inverted classroom is a good start to increase innovative uses of technology in the classroom, but Miami needs to evaluate students' concerns with the initiative and use their opinions to continue improving the program and undergraduate education while creating a stimulating classroom environment.
