The “Flip” Side of Online Course Redevelopment

Abstract

The COVID pandemic has highlighted the need for universities to be innovative and inclusive in their response to changing circumstances and to develop high quality courses in a completely online environment. In Semester 1, 2020, the team redeveloped a large undergraduate English and Chinese translation course at an Australian university in flipped mode while shifting the course to fully online delivery. The authors found that although student attitudes towards online flipped learning were initially mixed, levels of student engagement were similar to previous semesters. By the second semester of implementation, student evaluations of the course were significantly higher than in pre-flipped, pre-online semesters. This experience demonstrates that it is possible to develop a flipped university translation course that is interactive and engaging and challenges students academically. With appropriate scaffolding and the judicious use of technology, flipped learning offers a very positive learning experience and can be a key element of effective course design in fully online mode.