Implementation of a “true” Flipped classroom concept at the Norwegian Defense University College

Abstract

As a result of an extensive educational reform in the Norwegian armed forces, digital learning is introduced across the military system. Following a new defense educational strategy, one of the measures implemented at the Norwegian Defense University College (NoDUC) is Problem Based Learning (PBL) and flipped-classroom. The flipped classroom is one of the most well-known buzz words in education for the last 10 years at learning institutions all over the world. What does it really mean to implement flipped classroom as part of your educational strategy? Is putting PowerPoint presentations in the LMS together with digital copies of the syllabus enough to claim that flipped classroom is implemented? Is it really something totally new and is it only suitable for certain subjects? And how can PBL together with flipped classroom lay the ground for learning activities that results in deeper learning? This paper gives an overview of what a flipped classroom concept combined with PBL really means, why it matters and how it is meant to be implemented as an educational strategy. Furthermore, both pros, cons, risks and common misunderstandings are discussed and compared to traditional learning methods used at NoDUC and still existing in many schools and universities around the world. At the end the new educational strategy based on flipped classroom and PBL are discussed and the paper will highlight lessons learnt from the rebuilding of a Master of Military subject, based on PBL and a flipped classroom strategy.