Flipped Classroom With an Online Whiteboard: A How-To Guide

A flipped classroom is a model where students learn new content before class, usually from short videos, and spend live class time practising with the teacher's help. To run one online, record short whiteboard explanations, ask students to watch them before the lesson, and use the live session for problems, questions and feedback.

An online whiteboard suits this model well, because the board you record explanations on is the same board students work on in class. This guide walks through planning, recording and running a flipped lesson with Educastic.

Why flip an online class?

Flipping an online class frees live time for practice and feedback, which is where students need you most. Live class time is the scarcest thing you have. In a traditional online lesson, much of it goes to explaining while students listen. Flipping moves the listening part out of the live session, so the time you spend together goes to the parts where students need you most:

• working through problems and catching mistakes as they happen,
• discussing questions students bring from the pre-class material,
• giving individual feedback while others practise.

Students also gain control over the explanation itself. They can pause, rewind and watch it again before class, which is hard to do in a live lecture.

How do you record flipped classroom videos?

Record each flipped classroom video as a short whiteboard session focused on one idea, writing as you explain. A few practical tips:

1. One idea per recording. If a topic has three parts, record three short sessions rather than one long one.
2. Write as you talk. Build the explanation step by step on the board instead of showing a finished page. Students follow handwriting better than a static slide.
3. Use tabs as chapters. Start each part of the explanation on a new board tab so the recording has a clear structure.
4. Use the right tools. The math formula tool, a coordinate plane background or a Desmos graph make technical explanations clearer.
5. End with a question. Finish each recording with one question students should be ready to answer at the start of class.

On Educastic you record a session from the board, and Educastic keeps the recording in the My Recordings tab of My Library, where it can be replayed and downloaded. For more on getting good audio and a readable board, read how to record online classes.

How do you get students to watch before class?

Students watch before class when the video is short, comes with a small task and is checked at the start of the lesson. A flipped lesson only works if students arrive having seen the material, so make that easy:

• Keep it short. Short recordings are watched; long ones are skipped.
• Give a task with the video. Ask students to write down one question or solve one problem after watching.
• Check at the start of class. Open with a quick problem based on the video so watching it pays off immediately.
• Have a plan for those who did not watch. Play a short part of the recording inside the class for them. Educastic recordings can be played back inside a later class.

Only the participants of the recorded class, admitted guests and the owner can watch an Educastic recording, so think about who needs access when you plan.

What should flipped class time be used for?

Flipped class time should go to practice, clearing up confusion and quick checks, not to repeating the video. This is where the flipped model earns its place. A sample 45-minute live session:

During practice, give each student drawing access in turn. In Educastic the teacher can give and take back annotation access per student at any time, so you can watch one student work, correct a step, then pass the pen on. After the quick test, Educastic shows the teacher a summary of the answers and can plan the next recording around what the group got wrong.

How do you organise a flipped classroom online?

You organise a flipped classroom online by keeping explanations and materials in a course and the live practice sessions in a series. A flipped classroom produces a lot of material: recordings, worksheets and live sessions that belong together. Educastic offers two ways to keep it in order:

• Courses. The course builder lets you arrange modules and lessons, attach materials and quizzes, and track learner progress. Each lesson can hold the pre-class material, and progress tracking shows who has worked through it.
• Series. A series groups several live sessions into one programme with subscribers and a shareable page, which suits a recurring weekly practice session.

Many teachers combine them: the course holds the explanations and materials, the series holds the live practice sessions.

What are the most common flipped classroom mistakes?

The most common flipped classroom mistakes are long videos, re-teaching everything live and skipping the check that students watched.

• Videos that are too long. If students do not watch, the whole model breaks.
• Re-teaching everything in class. If you repeat the full video live, students learn they can skip it.
• No accountability. Without a check at the start, watching becomes optional.
• Practice without feedback. The value of live time is your feedback, so keep students working where you can see them.

Frequently asked questions

What is a flipped classroom? A flipped classroom is a model where students study new content before class, often through short videos, and use class time for practice, discussion and feedback.

How long should flipped classroom videos be? Short enough to watch in one sitting, and focused on one idea. Split longer topics into several recordings.

Can I play a recording during a live class? Yes. Educastic recordings can be played back inside a later class, so you can show part of one live.

Who can watch my recordings? Only that class's participants, admitted guests and the owner can watch an Educastic recording.

Flip your next lesson

Open the Educastic online whiteboard, record one short explanation, and plan your next live session around practice.

Start flipping free