News and Updates

SGSC’s Waycross Campus to begin utilizing “course flipping” techniques this August

South Georgia State College’s Waycross Campus will officially open the door this August to one of the newest concepts in higher education by incorporating innovative “course flipping” techniques in the classroom.  As a result, students will be able to use the iPad in three courses this fall.

According to Sara Selby, interim director of institutional effectiveness and one of the coordinators of the project, the anticipated result is to increase student and faculty engagement.

“The twenty-first century student is immersed in technology from cradle to grave.  Electronic delivery of course materials will actively engage students in demonstrating higher level thought and application of concepts,” said Selby.

The three courses to include course flipping techniques are BIOL 1010K (Introduction to Biology I) taught by Dr. Molly Smith, professor of biology and co-coordinator of the project; ENGL 1101 (Composition I) taught by Paula Fales, associate professor of English/Education; and MATH 1111 (College Algebra) taught by Dr. Lisa Howell, professor of mathematics.  Selby said the courses are designed for incoming freshmen.

“Our goal is to have an initial cohort of 24 students who will purchase iPads and take these courses their first semester,” said Smith.  “In order to be enrolled full-time, the students will also need to take SGSC 1000 (College Orientation & Success) and one more course.”

Selby and Smith have attended ten conferences and workshops to learn more about course flipping techniques.  They and other SGSC faculty have also delivered six presentations about the project to institutional, state, regional, and international conferences and workshops.  Selby said the response to the project has been positive.

“We have received very good feedback on our presentations.  People are very interested in what we’re trying to do,” she said.  “Three University System of Georgia (USG) representatives attended two of our presentations and were very impressed.  This has led to us receiving a lot of encouragement from others at the System level.”

SGSC’s project is being funded through the USG’s Incubator – a funding vehicle that supports campus projects aligned with Complete College Georgia.  Complete College Georgia is the initiative launched by Governor Nathan Deal to produce an additional 250,000 college graduates by 2020 to meet the state’s projected workforce needs.

Twenty-eight Incubator proposals from across the USG were submitted, and SGSC’s proposal was one of only nine selected.

For more information about the project, contact Selby at (912) 449-7600 or sara.selby@sgsc.edu.

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PHOTO: Sara Selby, interim director of institutional effectiveness at South Georgia State College, leads one of the first faculty training sessions last fall in how to use the iPad mini.  The iPad minis will allow SGSC faculty to incorporate innovative “flipping” techniques in selected courses beginning in August.