Flipping learning not just content: A 4‐year action research study investigating the appropriate level of flipped learning

• Published in: Journal of computer assisted learning 2018-12, Vol.34 (6), p.661-672
• Main Authors: Maycock, K.W., Lambert, J., Bane, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Computer architecture; Direct Instruction; Domains; Educational Environment; Educational Technology; Flipped classroom; Homework; Learning; Migration; Program Effectiveness; Students; Teaching Methods; Technology Uses in Education; Undergraduate Students; Video Technology
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12274

This action research study follows a between‐subject design strategy and attempts to identify whether a departure from a direct instructional teaching strategy towards a flipped learning pedagogy results in increases in student performance over time. In particular, the study considers the effects of integrating flipped learning pedagogic instruction into a Year 1, second‐semester undergraduate Computer Architecture module. The first year of the study represented a baseline year in which a traditional direct instructional teaching method was used. The three subsequent years of study involved the inclusion of increased proportions of flipped learning instruction. When removing the baseline year from the study and focusing on the years that included a flipped proportion of instruction only, the analysis showed statistically significant increases in learner performance for mature students as the module migrated towards a fully flipped delivery model. Positive increases associated with continuous assessment components of the modules were also observed across the population as the module migrated towards a flipped learning model. However, this apparent increase in learner performance showed no impact on the terminal examination scores across years, indicating that improved performance in continuous assessments was probably due to shallow learning. Lay Description What is already known about this topic: The 21st century learner is expected to be able to use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information effectively and seamlessly within a knowledge based society. Resources vary significantly in quality, presenting educational providers a major challenge in guiding their learners to suitable and relevant content for learning. Flipped learning has been applied to many specific domains with mixed results. What this paper adds: If flipped learning is being considered, it should be introduced as early as possible. Migration to a flipped learning environment has no practical effect on student performance in an early undergraduate technical module. Mature students performed better when incorporating flipped learning as a delivery model. Flipped learning reduces the necessity for note taking, with negative effects on student performance.