First inversion: a rationale for implementing the ‘flipped approach’ in tertiary music courses

For several reasons, current models of tertiary education seem unviable. A shifting educational landscape with rising student numbers, an increasingly diverse student cohort, and high levels of student disengagement have led to concerns about the continued relevance of ‘traditional’ teaching and learning methods. At the same time, the possibilities opened up by digital technologies are both driving and necessitating radical shifts in pedagogical models. This situation underscores the need to investigate models that may address some of these shifts in higher education. In the Australian tertiary music sector, where some institutions are struggling to retain quality tuition, this task is urgent. Taking as its point of departure a collaborative constructivist theoretical framework (Garrison & Akyol, 2009), this paper examines one pedagogical approach, the “flipped classroom”, for its potential to improve teaching and learning outcomes in tertiary music courses. Benefits, challenges and disadvantages of this model are discussed, as well as suggestions for implementation and further research. The author hopes to encourage consideration of flipped learning as a credible, evidence-based, and educationally sound new direction for tertiary music education.