New UAE workweek: Many schools to adopt flipped learning model

Many schools across the Emirates are readopting the flipped learning model as the new UAE workweek regulation comes into effect from January 2022.

Along with the rest of the country, schools too will transition into a four-and-a-half-day workweek, with Saturday, Sunday and Friday half-day forming the new weekend.

School administrators reiterate that for an institution in the UAE it is not half-a-day’s learning loss because of the way the week is already structured in most schools here.

Education establishments are only tweaking teaching models to find some extra time to ensure the learning week remains the same.

Simon Herbert, Head of School, CEO, GEMS International School - Al Khail says, “Flipped learning is not a new concept and has not emerged because of the pandemic or the changed working week coming into effect in January 2022. However, any change to school schedules deserves a focus on how best to deliver the teaching and learning.

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“Flipped learning is a sensible model to employ, as it means that valuable teaching time is not lost on content basics which could well be covered at home, in preparation for the lessons. This can be via video clips, reading texts or online sites, and the teacher can then quickly assess, during the next face-to-face lesson, that this work has been covered before providing stretch, scaffolding and challenge for all. It is a sensible model to focus on any time and is one more arrow in the teacher’s quiver”, adds Herbert.

Flipped learning is a methodology that helps teachers prioritise active learning during class time by assigning students lecture materials and presentations to be viewed at home or outside of class.

Educators underline while this is being plugged in with a renewed urgency, most schools have employed this procedure for some time, not merely as a reaction to the current changes.

Deepika Thapar Singh, CEO-Principal, Credence High School, says, “We have been regularly using the flipped learning model across all grades. Teachers use this learning model as a classroom teaching strategy. In the flipped classroom model, learning is flipped. Students can finish the lower level of cognitive work based on knowledge/understanding/assigned to them before class. So, when they come to class, teachers engage the students in higher cognitive levels of learning with peers.”

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She adds, “This flipped learning is used especially for differentiation to help all levels of learners. Here, students can pause, rewind, and learn at their own pace. It also helps in collaborative learning while increasing student-teacher interaction. Finally, flipping allows teachers to know their students better.”

Principals state this approach also helps to better prepare students to acquire new knowledge, so that the time spent in lessons deepens their level of understanding and aids students to apply their learning in different situations.

Nav Iqbal, Principal, CEO, GEMS Metropole School - Motor City says, “A flipped method of learning has been regularly used by the best schools. This approach will continue to be a key strategy in our school. During the lockdown period in 2020, schools learnt that students do learn effectively at home. As a school, home-based learning through projects helps to further develop a student’s understanding and allows them to apply their skills to a complete scenario. This is another significant approach that we will use a lot more moving forward."

• UAE