As I am proficient enough and well-rounded in mathematics, I have never really quite felt the need to go out and seek help outside of class in a standard classroom model. If I had a question regarding a topic, I'd ask it in the classroom during a lesson. However, since this flipped classroom model has been adopted, I am unable to ask any questions when they come up, and must rely on external sources (adding more time to the already lengthy note taking process) to properly answer my questions and comprehend the material fully. If I wait to ask the question the following day in class (along with many other students), we have to take time out of the actual class to answer all questions. This process takes about half an hour, which is then followed by a lesson or lecture which is essentially a repeat of the note-video-lessons. We then get twenty to fifteen minutes to do the "flipped classwork" which then becomes homework in addition to the notes. These notes are nearly always uploaded 2 days or less before the due date, making it almost impossible to get ahead, only for it to pile up. Rinse and repeat, this cycle caused by the flipped classroom shows students nothing except how to excessively stress, rely on other sources, and to live off of minimal sleep.
The only upside to the flipped classroom perhaps is the access to fellow students' help when doing the classwork, however short the time may be to receive it.
The video portion of the flipped classroom is especially problematic, as the lengthy videos cause not only an extremely tedious note taking process, but also a difficult way to comprehend the material. Hearing the same thing differently is one of the most important ways to learn something, and with a video lesson, this foundation for learning is neglected. Also, for those who are mathematically inclined, the majority of the videos are filled with slight irrelevant points that do not need to be present in the notes. Making the videos optional and broadening the note taking requirements will hopefully assist in the success of my fellow students.
The reflections seem to be a bit too open-ended for the purposes of self-evaluation. A good alternative to this would be to emulate the end of them; the two questions that quiz us actually show how we perform in a given topic.
Leaving a larger set amount of time to complete assignments so they are not left for homework at the end of class would be beneficial to not only the quality of work, but also the quantity of hours of sleep.
I would choose a traditional classroom for the reasons I have listed above, which account for those who need help, those who are sufficient, and those who are above sufficient. A flipped classroom demonstrated in this way is like the Shamwow. A wonderful idea and feasible enough in theory, but when it's used and evaluated, it offers little advantage over the traditional method, even hindering the user on certain scenarios.
