A Blended & Flipped Classroom Approach to Teaching Historic Preservation

This case study reflects upon my experience using a blended course design to facilitate a flipped classroom model of teaching. The case study focuses on UST 476/576: Historic Preservation, offered out of the Levin College of Urban Affairs. The class is an introductory course that addresses the history and theory of historic preservation, federal, state and local policy in the U.S. context, research and advocacy, economics and revitalization, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in historic preservation. In the past, I taught the course in a traditional lecture/seminar style, with students completing readings before class and classes consisting of lengthy lectures and sporadic discussions. By redesigning the class, I am now able to facilitate more active in-person learning. We have an in-person class every two weeks, with asynchronous, online courses on the alternate weeks. Students have readings, multimedia materials (videos, podcasts), short recorded lectures, and a moderately intensive homework assignment during the online weeks. This all serves as the basis for our active in-person sessions that consist entirely of discussions and small group activities. Some of the active learning assignments include an architectural scavenger hunt around Northeast Ohio, developing an advocacy plan for a hypothetical preservation project, and writing a manifesto for the future of historic preservation. In class, students engage in a mock landmarks commission, develop ideas about a variety of preservation topics, and apply their knowledge through discussions and debates.