Performance and perception in the flipped classroom

Abstract

Changes in the conceptualisation of higher education have led to instructional methods that embrace technology as a teaching medium. These changes have led to the flipped classroom phenomenon -where content is delivered outside class, through media such as video and podcast, and engagement with the content, through problem-solving and/or group work, occurs in class. Studies investigating the impact of the flipped classroom have mainly looked at the student experience with little focus on whether exam outcomes are enhanced by flipping. An undergraduate Material Technology course at The University of the West Indies was taught in two formats over two successive years. The course was taught during the 2012/13 academic year in a 'traditional' format but, after reflecting on student feedback and personal pedagogy, the lecturer restructured the class and taught it in a flipped format during the 2013/14 academic year. This research examines whether the flipped format improved the learning experience in relation to exam performance and student perception. Data was gathered through analysis of course grades and student evaluation questionnaires. The lecturer's reflective comments were also reviewed before and after the study. Analysis of the qualitative data shows that the flipped format led to a slight improvement in how students perceived the course and the lecturer's reflection shows that they are keen to continue with the flipped format as it allowed more time for them to work with students at an individual level. While no significant change in relation to average cohort exam performance was found, fewer students in the flipped classroom achieved marks at the highest level. It is therefore recommended that practitioners who intend to flip their classroom pay as much attention to student performance as they do to student perception.

The flipped classroom model at the university: analysis based on professors’ and students’ assessment in the educational field

“…Further, we observed that the average grade obtained in the academic year 2013-2014 was a 7.5, an 8.6 in 2014-1015, and an 8.4 in 2015-2016. These grades confirm the fact already mentioned by Blair et al (2015) that the model contributes to the improvement of academic results. In addition, we believe that this improvement is not only quantitative.…”

“…These authors and approaches are: Moraros, Islam, Yu, Banow, and Schindelka (2015) and Blair, Maharaj, C, and Primus (2015), who analyze the flipped classroom and describe it as the action that helps students to improve their academic results; Abeysekera and Dawson (2015) who look into what can be changed in traditional education in order to ultimately substitute it for an education with more active methodologies; and Rivera (2015), who highlights the importance of training efficient time management.…”

La enseñanza de contenidos científicos a través de un modelo “Flipped”: Propuesta de instrucción para estudiantes del Grado de Educación Primaria

“…Resultados similares han sido descritos por Mason et al (2013) y Mattis (2014, donde además establecen que los mejores resultados de aprendizaje se produjeron en aquellos conceptos con una complejidad mayor. Otros estudios, como el de Blair et al (2015), no describen una mejora significativa en los resultados de aprendizaje, si bien establecen la necesidad de incrementar los esfuerzos de investigación con objeto de tener una información más completa de esta metodología de instrucción.…”

Making Sense of the Professional Learning of Grade Six Teachers of Mathematics Implementing the Flipped Classroom Approach | Le perfectionnement professionnel des enseignants de mathématique en 6e année mettant en œuvre l’approche de la classe inversée

“…In general, however, the literature on the approach is largely dominated by empirical studies of post-secondary students' experiences (e.g., Blair, Maharaj, & Primus, 2015) along with instructors' anecdotal accounts (e.g., Enfield, 2013). Empirical reports of K-12 teachers' professional learning with the approach are virtually absent in the literature.…”