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Flipped classroom

nounTeaching & Learningalso flipped learning, inverted classroom

In one line

A flipped classroom moves direct instruction, such as a lecture, outside of class time, usually as a video students watch at home, so class time can be used for practice and discussion instead.

In simple terms

A flipped classroom moves direct instruction, the part of teaching that explains new material, outside of class time, usually delivered as a short recorded video students watch at home, so that class time can be used for practice, discussion, and problem-solving instead. [2]

How it works

In a traditional classroom, a teacher typically lectures during class and sends students home to practice the material alone through homework. A flipped classroom reverses that order: students encounter the new material, often a recorded lecture, a reading, or a short video, on their own time before class, then come to class ready to work through problems, ask questions, and get help from the teacher while actually practicing. [2]

Teachers Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams are widely credited with popularizing the approach at Woodland Park High School in Colorado in the mid-2000s, after recording lectures for students who had missed class and noticing how the recordings changed what class time could be used for. [1]

Why it matters

The appeal of the model is that the teacher is physically present during the harder part of learning, working through problems and correcting misunderstandings, rather than during the part, listening to an explanation, where many students can manage on their own with a pause or rewind button. [1] Research on how well this actually improves learning outcomes is mixed, and results depend heavily on how well the in-class active-learning time is designed, not simply on whether lectures were pre-recorded. [1]

Where you’ll see it

  • High school and college courses, especially in math and science
  • Teacher-recorded video lectures assigned as homework before class
  • Class time spent on worked problems, labs, or group discussion
  • Blended learning programs that combine online and in-person instruction

Example

A calculus teacher assigns a 10-minute video explaining a new technique as homework, then spends the next class period having students work through practice problems in small groups while circulating to answer questions.

Often confused with

Blended learning is a broader category that mixes any combination of online and in-person instruction; a flipped classroom is one specific way of blending the two, defined by where direct instruction happens relative to practice.

Key facts

  • Teachers Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams are widely credited with popularizing the flipped classroom model at Woodland Park High School in Colorado in the mid-2000s.1
  • In a flipped classroom, students typically watch a recorded lecture or complete reading at home, then use class time for problem-solving, discussion, or guided practice with the teacher present.2
  • The model reverses the traditional order, where a lecture happens in class and independent practice, such as homework, happens afterward alone.2
  • Research on flipped classroom outcomes is mixed, with results depending heavily on how well the in-class active learning portion is designed, not simply on recording lectures.1
Quick checkWhat actually gets "flipped" in a flipped classroom?Show answer

The order of instruction and practice: direct instruction, like a lecture, moves to outside class time, while the hands-on practice that used to be homework moves into class time with the teacher present.

Sources

  1. Education Week. Educators Evaluate 'Flipped Classrooms'. Undated (accessed 1 November 2026)
  2. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Flipping the Classroom. Undated (accessed 1 November 2026)

Editorially reviewed by Last reviewed November 1, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue