The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, is advancing innovative education strategies that are redefining the learning experience for students. The university’s Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) recently hosted a seminar on the Flipped Classroom Approach, equipping faculty with tools to foster higher-order thinking, active engagement, and sustainable academic growth.
In his welcome remarks, AUN President Dr. Dewayne Frazier emphasized the importance of continuous professional development for educators, stating, “Learning is a constant process, and we keep learning and improving in new approaches to teaching for sustainable growth of our students and the university at large.” His words highlighted AUN’s commitment to evolving teaching practices to meet contemporary educational demands.
The session, led by Dr. Adamu Salihu Girei, offered an in-depth exploration of the flipped classroom model. Dr. Girei contrasted this approach with traditional lecture-based methods, showing how it transforms passive learning into an interactive, student-centered experience. He outlined the three key phases of knowledge transfer, before class, during class, and after class, and introduced Derek Bruff’s framework, which incorporates Bloom’s Taxonomy, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Constructivism, and Self-Regulated Learning.
Faculty participants gained practical strategies for implementing the model, including preparing pre-class materials, promoting independent study, facilitating active in-class exercises, and conducting post-class assessments. By highlighting Bloom’s Taxonomy stages, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, and Create, Dr. Girei illustrated how the flipped approach nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students.
The interactive segment encouraged robust dialogue, addressing strategies to ensure student engagement with pre-class materials and exploring applications for lab-intensive courses. Participants left equipped with actionable methods to adapt the flipped model across diverse disciplines.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Ukata Agata, TLC Director, praised faculty for embracing innovative teaching strategies and reaffirmed the university’s mission to provide educators with modern pedagogical tools that enhance both teaching and learning outcomes.
Reported by: Udoh Victoria Clement, Marketing and Communication