TPSS 300—Evolving to Become a Flipped Class/BYOD Course

Although lecturing can be an effective teaching method, it is sometimes boring for the students and the instructor and does not engage the students. The traditional classroom typically uses lecturing with the students doing homework outside of class. The flipped classroom approach provides content to students through videos and other online methods outside of class. Then, in class, students have the opportunity to do more hands-on, active learning through discussions and solving problems. The objective is to describe how TPSS 300 Tropical Production Systems has become a more flipped classroom course. Rather than listening to so many lectures, students were assigned to view YouTube videos, websites, handouts, popular works publications, and scientific articles. Students did this outside of class. Students brought their laptop, tablet, or smartphone to class (BYOD, bring your own device). They broke up into groups of 2-4 students and discussed questions and points about the day's topics. Some of these questions and points dealt with the content they viewed outside of class. Some were new. Each group then went in front of the class and presented their answers with each student in a group speaking. Students also used their laptops or mobile devices to help answer questions and look up additional relevant information in class. Students used most of the class time for small group discussion. Small groups promoted each student talking and contributing. This helped in peer teaching and sharing of personal experiences, a process that benefitted both the advanced and less advanced learners. Oral presentation skills improved because each student in a group had the opportunity to speak in front of the class rather than the spokesperson of a group speaking. Laptops and mobile devices furthered Internet search skills. The instructor used minimal lecturing, now being in the new position of guiding students in their activities. TPSS 300 has been evolving from a lecture course to a flipped classroom course, enhancing student learning, small group discussion skills, and speaking competence.