The Greek flip

Old language, online learning

Abstract

The flipped classroom has generated much enthusiasm as the future of education. Past research has shown personal support from a tutor as highly effective, but uneconomical. Might flipped formats be a solution to this economic problem? This paper reports on a flipped design for teaching ancient Greek in a theological college. Students learnt the basic content through online videos and activities, and then attended a two-week intensive to interact with faculty and peers. Students were very satisfied with the online resource and agreed that it had helped them prepare to learn Greek, although they were keen to keep the personal interaction with peers and teachers. They used it heavily for an extended period of time. The proportion of students failing or achieving a simple pass decreased, although more data is required to confirm the impact on marks. Overall, the adoption of a flipped format has been validated.