Student interactions in a flipped classroom‐based undergraduate engineering statistics course

• Published in: Computer applications in engineering education 2021-07, Vol.29 (4), p.969-978
• Main Author: Kayaduman, Halil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: active learning; Classrooms; Colleges & universities; Engineering education; Flipped classroom; instructional design; Learning; Privacy; student interactions; Students; Teachers; transactional distance theory; Undergraduate study
• ISSN: 1061-3773; 1099-0542
• DOI: 10.1002/cae.22239

The purpose of the study is to explore student–content, student–interface, student–instructor, and student–student interactions in a flipped classroom (FC)‐based undergraduate engineering course using the transactional distance (TD) theory. Understanding student interactions that occur in and out of the classroom to reduce the TD can help one design and develop high‐quality FC‐based courses and, thus, produce better learning outcomes and teaching experiences. A mixed‐methods case study was implemented in a Probability and Statistics course, and 37 undergraduate students from a developing university's faculty of engineering participated in the study. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey and focus group interviews. The initial findings indicated that the FC approach facilitated the students’ learning process and increased their interest in the course. Furthermore, the students found favorable student–content, student–instructor, student–interface, and student–student interactions. Based on the findings, all interaction types and their relationship with each other in the scope of the FC approach were discussed. Recommendations for reducing the TD include preparing videos that are understandable and comprehensive enough to be studied by students, provision of sufficient support, and positive attitude to students by instructors, encouraging collaboration among students, and utilizing easy‐to‐use digital platforms.