Guiding students to become lifelong learners: flipped-classroom and meaningful participation in a blended-learning environment

In this article we present a good practice of combining several teaching strategies such as blended learning, the flipped classroom and self-directed study activities in a MA level course, with the aim of helping students develop lifelong learning skills. We report how we adopted the flipped classroom model in several editions of the Introduction to Media Art and Culture course through the organization of fishbowl discussions with the students about the homework assignments they were asked to prepare before the classes. The course final assignments consisted in a video essay that the students had to produce in small groups and present to the class. The video essay required students to do research, define a research question and develop a critical attitude towards the topics explored. ourse. We gathered feedback from the students during and after the course. We analyzed the feedback as well as the video essays submitted by the students in order to assess if the course provided them a meaningful learning experience and if it helped them become lifelong learners. We conclude that the course achieved the intended goals and that it represents a valuable case to discuss among the educational community.