Flipped Courses and Hybrid Learning

Students walking across UNT Library Mall

Beginning Fall 2026, UNT will implement a broad course redesign effort to adopt a flipped classroom/hybrid learning model to ensure every UNT student benefits both from a small class learning experience and online lecture and delivery that is adaptable to their needs. For the fall semester, over 40 courses will be offered in this new format, and we look forward to adding more courses over time.

In this model, lectures are delivered online through Canvas, with a recitation (small class gathering) that meets weekly and is devoted to high-impact teaching practices that foster engagement, problem-solving and community-building.

The flipped course model empowers faculty innovators to transform how we teach large enrollment courses at UNT, building on our ongoing efforts to modernize our teaching practices and better support student learning. This initiative will leverage and build upon models and technologies developed at leading colleges and universities across the nation.

FAQs

For our first-year students, transfer students and learners in foundational programs, this approach could be transformational for their UNT student experience. Many introductory-level courses are high-stakes by nature given their connection to upper-level courses and progression to degree, and the experience of other institutions and the research literature overwhelmingly supports a flipped classroom modality to facilitate student academic success.

A flipped course reverses the traditional learning model by delivering instruction outside the classroom through an online lecture.

The lecture is complemented by a weekly recitation (small class gathering) during which instructors help students put the knowledge they gained from the lecture into action through high-impact practices that build understanding, collaboration and community. Discussions, problem-based learning, laboratories, practicums, and art studios are among the many possible examples of effective recitations.

In a flipped course, online lectures use evidence-based teaching practices to prepare students with the content knowledge they need to fully engage in the recitation. The lectures are designed to be both engaging and effective, with ample opportunities for student self-checks, open-ended questions, and other active learning exercises. Additionally, while a course might be listed as having two 50-minute online lectures, many instructors choose to break those into shorter, targeted lectures that are easier for students to process and fit into their schedules.

While you will spend less time in a physical classroom, your interactions with your instructor and peers during the recitation will be more dynamic, engaging, and efficient. Instead of spending class time passively listening, you’ll come prepared to deepen your understanding of the lecture content through collaborative learning experiences and individualized instructor support.