Flipped classrooms in Japan

Yoshihiro Hirata and Yoko Hirata
Hokkai-Gakuen University
Sapporo, Japan

Flipped teaching, developed by Bergmann and Sams (2004), is a recent teaching method requiring students to watch an online lecture before coming to the class. Then, during class-time, rather than having a traditional lesson conducted by the instructor, students have discussions and do assignments based on the online lecture under the guidance of their instructor. The benefits of this flipped approach to teaching, which merges traditional learning with the continuously advancing world of online learning, are enormous for both students and instructors (Fulton, 2012). Although various combinations and applications of this model have been implemented, little research has been conducted on which models are more effective at enhancing students’ motivation and encouraging them to take control of their learning. This study looks at the development and evaluation of flipped classroom approaches as implemented in various Japanese educational settings, and discusses the benefits and limitations revealed so far.