The material usually consists of texts, videos or podcasts. As a result, the classes are more like seminars with discussions and a focus on immersion, reflection and analysis. In accordance with the general principle of university studies, the flipped classroom means that students themselves bear the main responsibility for their learning, whereas the teacher’s primary role is to provide stimuli as well as the necessary preconditions and framework for learning.
The method is well suited to the discipline of sociology, in which the primary objective of teaching is to develop a critical and analytical way of thinking. In today’s society, facts and concrete information are available in abundance and soon become outdated. Consequently, the ability to critically examine, assess and utilise information constitutes intellectual capital with permanent value. Facts and information provide the basis for teaching, but they are only the starting point and used as tools for developing thinking. The flipped classroom method is particularly suited to these types of pedagogical objectives because we actively discuss and work on the material that provides the basis for each class.
In addition, the flipped classroom is a fun method because it enables more interaction between the students and the teacher.