The US Navy nuclear power program had 6 months of intense (8-4 pm) classroom instruction, followed by 6 months of on hands shift work prototype training operating a nuclear power plant, which was a lot like a "flipped classroom".
When i was an instructor at prototype, students had to study and receive checkouts on theory, systems and operations, documented by signatures in their "qual card". These checkouts, and watchstanding were done one-on-one.
In several instances, i could tell a student was not understanding the theory, and as the instructor, i needed to help them understand the concepts: I would explain it as it was explained to me. I could tell the student did not comprehend. I would change how i explained the concept using diffenent analogies. I could tell a studentd did or did not get it...
I would enquire about them briefly: High school, where they grew up, what they did for fun, then and now? I would then try to use an analogy based upon what their experience was,... growing corn, working on a car, backyard chemist... whatever, and reexplain the analolgy.
When i could see the "lightbulb" go on in their eyes, in their mind... i knew that they understood the concept, and not only did the final way of analogy provide understanding,... all of the previous ways that i explained things made sense to them...
Then they explained the concept the way they understood it... and we went off rejoicing together... They got a signature in their qual card.
