Blended Learning

The Flipped Classroom is a pedagogical model where the lecture and homework aspects of a standard lesson are inverted. The ‘lecture’ occurs before the live session – usually using asynchronous, independent learning from videos or readings – and the ‘homework’ is an in-person, large group interactive session. It can be a powerful technique because instructors can see and guide students during challenging tasks. Students interact with each other, tackle more sophisticated problems and exercises and engage in analysis of different topics or viewpoints.

The Blended Learning model is related to the Flipped Classroom in that it also uses asynchronous teaching tools like online videos. The key element of Blended Learning is that students have control of the time, place and pace of some of the learning materials and online sessions are linked to other live learning activities.

These terms have a large degree of overlap in the UCSF Medical School curriculum because while not all topics have a direct follow-up large group interactive session, they are covered in other learning activities including labs, small groups and other live lectures.