Flipped Learning Technologies to Watch in 2016: The Top 6 Technologies That Are Either under Development or Already in Use in the Flipped Learning Environment, as Seen by Our Education Professionals

EVER SINCE THE first classroom was "flipped" about eight years ago, a number of hardware, software and app makers have developed products to enable this blended learning process. Because the strategy relies heavily on technology and connectivity to operate smoothly, flipped learning pioneers and proponents are always on the lookout for tools that will help them work smarter, better and more efficiently, Here are six areas that they'll be watching in 2016. 1. Tools that enable digital organization. As K 12 teachers continue to accumulate flipped learning content, resources and materials, the need for digital organization has grown exponentially. According to Brian Bennett, a science teacher at Elkhart Community Schools in Elkhart, IN and chairman of the Flipped Learning Network, platforms like Blackboard and Canvas are playing a bigger role in the flipped learning environment. Other viable options include Google's Classroom, which "automates" the sharing process but isn't necessarily an organizational tool. "The broad goal here is to organize everything and make it easy to access and share with students," said Bennett. "I think 2016 is the year we'll see a lot of growth in this area." 2. Platforms that enable more interactive video components. Aaron Sams, co founder of Turn About Learning LLC in Pittsburgh and former Flipped Learning Network chairman, said software makers are focused on making their video platforms more interactive for students. He said this strategy aligns well with the flipped classroom, where "we don't want to encourage passive viewership; we encourage interactivity." Sams pointed to eduCanon, EDPuzzle and Zaption as three platforms that allow users to embed questions and other features into video content. When running, videos can stop at the one minute mark, for example, and the software can pose a question to the students. "If they get it right, they move on," said Sams. "If they don't, the software kicks them back to the spot on the video where the instruction was given." 3. Remote scientific laboratories. Historically, science experiments were reserved for the school laboratory. Now, educational tools are making experiments possible at home a development that could give instructors more in class time to review difficult topics and concepts instead of handing out beakers and safety glasses.  "Lab time in a science classroom is often consumed by setup and cleanup," said Jeremy Roschelle, co director at SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning. Done remotely, the same experiments can be paused, repeated and reviewed without the same time constraints. Students would bring their data to class the next day to analyze and interpret with the help of their instructors. The iLab Network at Northwestern University, for example, "creates experimental facilities via remote online laboratories that enable students and educators to use real instruments, rather than simulations, to carry out experiments from anywhere at any time," according to the university's site. "This brings a very powerful sense of flipping," said Roschelle, "using a number of worldwide portals that feature different remote labs set up for access by teachers and students." 4. A place for centralized curriculum feedback. At Elkhart Community Schools, Bennett's team documents all of its curriculum contributions with the goal of sharing resources among one another.