What affects learner engagement in flipped learning and what predicts its outcomes?

The current popularity of flipped learning may be attributed to its reported successes in bringing about enhanced learner engagement and positive learning outcomes. This study aims to improve our understanding of flipped learning (FL) outcomes by examining factors of learner engagement, academic capability, and epistemological beliefs. Data were collected and statistically analyzed from 231 undergraduate students enrolled in a general biology or general chemistry course at a Korean university implemented with the FL model. The results indicated that learners’ epistemological beliefs influenced neither pre-class nor in-class engagement, but that academic capability did affect both pre-class and in-class engagement. Only content/learning-related outcomes, not generic competencies or satisfaction, were affected by both academic capability and epistemological beliefs. Both pre-class and in-class engagement levels affected most types of FL outcomes except generic competencies, which were only affected by the extent of in-class engagement. Learners’ affective engagement was not influenced by epistemological beliefs, but directly and indirectly affected FL outcomes via behavioral and cognitive engagement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with recommendations.     

在线开放课程学习质量评价指标体系构建与应用

在混合式教学模式基本流程、在线开放课程学习质量评价逻辑的基础上,构建了基于数据驱动的在线开放课程学习质量评价体系。评价体系从课前学情预测、课中迭代监测、课后反馈提升等维度,对影响学习质量的14个因素进行了深入挖掘分析。最后将本评价体系应用在"C语言程序设计"课程中,研究结果表明:投入度高的学习者其学习参与度越高,学习成绩越好;学习能力强的学习者其创新能力并不一定强;在线开放课程中实施混合式教学对学习者顺利完成学习目标具有重要保障作用。     

Clickers in the flipped classroom: bring your own device (BYOD) to promote student learning

Flipped classrooms continue to grow in popularity across all levels of education. Following this pedagogical trend, the present study aimed to enhance the face-to-face instruction in flipped classrooms with the use of clickers. A game-like clicker application was implemented through a bring your own device (BYOD) model to gamify classroom dynamics in the spirit of question-and-answer competitions. A series of flipped learning lessons were created for the study, with clickers integrated into question-and-answer activities associated with each of the lessons as formative assessments to assist students in the learning of English as a foreign language. In this quasi-experimental research, the data were gathered using a summative assessment, a perception survey, and individual interviews. The collected data were then analyzed to compare the students’ flipped learning experiences, with or without clicker use. The results indicated that the gamified use of clickers had positive influences on student learning, with regard to their performance, perceptions, and preferences. This study thus suggests that the emerging generation of clicker technology allows for a cost-effective BYOD integration model in flipped classrooms, through which it is possible to seamlessly bridge pre-class and in-class activities and to effectively promote student learning.     

Development of an instructional design model for flipped learning in higher education

In response to pedagogical challenges in higher education, blended learning has become a prevalent practice in colleges and universities. Flipped learning (FL) represents a newly emerging form of blended learning, where students individually watch online lectures prior to class and then engage in classroom learning activities interacting with peers and instructors. Although the conceptual framework of FL may be intuitively appealing, its design and implementation involve considerable intricacy. The purpose of this study was to develop a FL design model for higher education that could systematically guide instructors or designers in creating an appropriate blend of individualized online lectures and collaborative face-to-face learning activities. Using an established method for model development research, a theoretically constructed initial model was iteratively improved and underwent internal and external validation through model usability tests, expert review, and field evaluation. The implementation of an algebra class in a Korean university designed by the final model resulted in significant increases in the maturity of mathematical views, quality of reflections, and satisfactions of students. Features of the model are discussed, along with theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for further research.     

Gamification of in-class activities in flipped classroom lectures

For higher education, the question of how in-class activities can be supported in large lectures is of great relevance. This paper suggests a gamified flipped classroom approach to address this challenge. In an experimental study, N = 205 educational science students performed either gamified in-class activities using a gamified quiz with points and a team leaderboard, or non-gamified in-class activities using exercise sheets. In line with the theory of gamified learning, the results show a positive indirect effect of gamification on application-oriented knowledge that is mediated by learning process performance. Furthermore, based on a self-determination theory framework, the results show positive effects of gamified in-class activities on intrinsic motivation and social relatedness, but no significant effect on competence need satisfaction. The study provides insights into a particular casual construct of game design elements (points and team leaderboards) triggering specific mechanisms (immediate task-level feedback and team competition) affecting a mediator (learning process performance) that in turn affects a learning outcome (application-oriented knowledge).     

Investigating the effects of gamification-enhanced flipped learning on undergraduate students’ behavioral and cognitive engagement

ABSTRACT

In recent years, flipped learning has attracted much attention around the world. This instructional approach is appealing because it can free up class time for knowledge application activities with help from the instructor and peers. However, its implementation can be fraught with challenges. Student disengagement in out-of-class activities, for example, is one of the major challenges of flipped learning. The purpose of this study is to examine whether gamification can enhance student engagement in a flipped course. A comparison study was conducted, involving two classes of undergraduate students in an Information Management course. The results indicated that students in the gamification-enhanced flipped learning group (n?=?48) were more likely to complete the pre-class and post-class activities on time than those in the non-gamified flipped learning group (n?=?48). Students in the gamification-enhanced flipped learning group also produced higher quality artifacts than the non-gamified flipped learning group in the pre-class thinking activities. Moreover, students in the gamification-enhanced flipped learning group scored significantly higher in the post-course test than did their non-gamified counterparts.     

When is the best time to use rubrics in flipped learning? A study on students’ learning achievement,metacognitive awareness,and cognitive load

ABSTRACT

Rubrics can guide teachers to provide effective feedback and students’ peer- and self-assessment. This paper examines the effect of rubric use in flipped learning activities on students’ learning achievement, metacognitive awareness, and cognitive load through a quasi-experiment. A total of 83 university students were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The students in the experimental group were given rubrics in performing pre-class learning activities on the cloud platform, while those in the control group used rubrics in post-class assessment and modification of their finished works. The results show that rubric use can assist flipped learning by improving students’ learning achievement and metacognitive awareness, while reducing their cognitive load. Using rubrics before in-class work can yield stronger benefits in raising metacognitive awareness and lessening cognitive load. Moreover, the study reveals that students tend to hold a generally favorable attitude toward rubric use. These findings imply that appropriate use of rubrics in flipped learning has the potential to create a more efficient and learner-friendly condition to enhance self-regulated learning.     

Research trends of flipped classroom studies for medical courses: a review of journal publications from 2008 to 2017 based on the technology-enhanced learning model

ABSTRACT

Medical education is a domain with fast-changing knowledge and attention to knowledge application and higher order thinking; therefore, how to implement effective teaching is a crucial issue. Based on the technology-based learning model, this study provides a multi-dimensional analysis of published papers on the flipped classroom in medical education from the SCOPUS database, including the form of the learning materials, learning system or player, learning strategies, educational technology, application domains, research issues, participants, and research methods. Based on the results, the application of flipped classrooms in medical education has grown rapidly over the past decade, with the number growing dramatically from 7 papers in 2014, to 16 papers in 2015, and 22 papers in 2016. It was found that a great number of studies adopted instructional videos uploaded on online learning systems or used existing online videos to conduct before-class teaching in the before-class stage of the flipped classroom; moreover, most studies involved no online discussion in the before-class stage. As for learning strategies in the in-class stage, the most frequently adopted strategies were issue discussion, practicing or doing exercises, and problem-based learning. This implies that most studies mainly emphasized basic knowledge understanding and skills training, while little attention was paid to developing learners’ higher order thinking skills. In addition, the majority of studies explored students’ learning interest/satisfaction, learning experience, and performance on the cognitive aspect, while little research was found to investigate their preparation degree or cognitive loading. Based on the review results, this study provides the research trends and potential research issues of flipped medical education to serve as a reference for researchers, instructors, and decision makers.     

Toward a set of design principles for mathematics flipped classrooms: A synthesis of research in mathematics education

This paper analyzed the journal publications of mathematics flipped classroom studies in K-12 and higher education contexts. We focused specifically on a set of flipped classroom studies in which pre-class instructional videos were provided prior to face-to-face class meetings. We examined the following four major issues: (a) the types of out-of-class and in-class instructional activities used, (b) the effect of flipped learning on student achievement, (c) the participant perceptions of flipped classroom benefits, and (d) the main challenges of flipped classroom implementations. A meta-analysis of 21 comparison studies showed an overall significant effect in favor of the flipped classroom over the traditional classroom for mathematics education (Hedges' g = 0.298, 95% CI [0.16, 0.44]), with no evidence of publication bias. A broader research synthesis of 61 studies revealed that the flipped classroom approach benefited student learning in three main aspects: increasing in-class time for task/practice, integrating new knowledge with existing beliefs, and real-time feedback. The two most frequently reported flipped classroom challenges were students' unfamiliarity with flipped learning and significant start-up effort on the part of instructors. We hence propose a set of design principles to help foster the transition to the flipped classroom and improve the out-of-class and in-class learning designs. This set of design principles can also provide a more focused agenda for future research to examine the effect of the flipped classroom approach on student learning and motivation.     

对高职高专英语多媒体网络教学的思考

随着我国英语教学改革的实施,多媒体网络教学也在各高职院校试行和推广。在多媒体网络环境下,各种教学资源将得以更有效的应用,有利于创设一个智能化的教学环境,使学生从被动接受知识的模式中解放出来。然而,如果过多过滥地运用多媒体教学,违背了多媒体“辅助”教学的宗旨,就会使学生在课堂上走马观花,导致课堂教学流于形式。本文分析我国高职院校英语课程采取这种教学模式的必要性,以及存在的问题,提出多媒体教育应与传统教育相结合。     

The effectiveness of the student response system (SRS) in English grammar learning in a flipped English as a foreign language (EFL) class

ABSTRACT

Flipped classes are well-known for reversing the typical in-class lecture and out-of-class homework structure by instructing students to learn by themselves from on-line learning materials and inviting them to ask questions based on their individual difficulties in class. Many attempts at integrating this teaching method into English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms have proven to be beneficial to students’ learning achievement and motivation. However, there is little research on how to organize interactive, engaging and effective in-class activities for an EFL flipped classroom. In this study, a student response system (SRS) is proposed to support teachers in organizing in-class activities in a flipped class. To investigate the effectiveness of this approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted in an EFL classroom in an engineering school. The experimental group used the SRS to do in-class activities while the control group followed the conventional method. The results showed that the use of the SRS increased students’ learning motivation and self-efficacy in learning English grammar and improved their participation and engagement in the in-class activities of the flipped learning process. Furthermore, the questionnaire results showed that students accepted the SRS as an instructional method in an EFL flipped class. However, the use of the SRS was not effective in improving students’ grammar learning achievement.     

Investigating Strategies for Pre-Class Content Learning in a Flipped Classroom

In a flipped classroom model, learning of basic content is shifted before class while in-class time is used for concept application. Empirical and controlled research studies are lacking on the best strategies to provide the necessary pre-class content instruction. In this study, we tested three methods of pre-class content learning—interactive online tutorials, video lectures, and textbook-style readings—while holding the content and the in-class application activities constant. Identical introductory, non-majors biology classes were manipulated at both a public, open-enrollment institution and a private, highly selective institution. We found that video lectures offer a small advantage to overall student learning over interactive tutorials or textbook-style readings. Although our two populations differed in their ability to effectively learn from pre-class activities, through a student-centered flipped classroom approach, students at both institutions demonstrated equal learning gains by the final assessment. Potential reasons for some observed differences are suggested.     

Understanding the behavioral intention to play Austronesian learning games: from the perspectives of learning outcome,service quality,and hedonic value

Although ubiquitous learning is a novel and creative teaching approach, two key issues inhibit its success overall: a lack of appropriate learning strategies regarding learning objectives, and ineffective learning tools for receiving knowledge regarding the chosen subjects. To address these issues, we develops and designs a game-based educational app and an object-linked knowledge environment in order to help learners learn about Taiwan’s Austronesian culture. 70 fifth-grade students are split into experimental and control groups to determine whether there are significant learning differences. For the experimental group, we use a questionnaire survey to assess students’ learning condition and to measure their willingness to continue to use this app. The questionnaire examines mobile learning from the perspectives of service quality, hedonic value,and certain control variables. Service quality reliability is found to be the key factor driving learners’ willingness to use the system. The perception of hedonic value also has significant influence on learners’ willingness. The control variable of subjective norm is found to be beneficial in encouraging learners to use the system, thus affecting and increasing learners’ willingness. We conclude that in an outdoor object-linked knowledge environment, students learn more effectively when the activities involve the use of an educational app.     

Assessment of the effects of student response systems on student learning and attitudes over a broad range of biology courses

With the advent of wireless technology, new tools are available that are intended to enhance students' learning and attitudes. To assess the effectiveness of wireless student response systems in the biology curriculum at New Mexico State University, a combined study of student attitudes and performance was undertaken. A survey of students in six biology courses showed that strong majorities of students had favorable overall impressions of the use of student response systems and also thought that the technology improved their interest in the course, attendance, and understanding of course content. Students in lower-division courses had more strongly positive overall impressions than did students in upper-division courses. To assess the effects of the response systems on student learning, the number of in-class questions was varied within each course throughout the semester. Students' performance was compared on exam questions derived from lectures with low, medium, or high numbers of in-class questions. Increased use of the response systems in lecture had a positive influence on students' performance on exam questions across all six biology courses. Students not only have favorable opinions about the use of student response systems, increased use of these systems increases student learning.     

Considering mobile device constraints and context-awareness in adaptive mobile learning for flipped classroom

Today, the mobile technologies and Information and Communication Technology development opened the door on new methods and pedagogies of learning. We are talking here about the mobile learning and the flipped classroom approaches. The flipped classroom means that the activities that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa. The mobile learning and as its name suggests is done in a mobile and changeable environment by mobile learners. Therefore, the context notion plays a significant role in this type of learning. Hence, the usefulness of the context-aware mobile learning systems. These systems take into account the different context dimensions to offer to the learners an adapted learning according to their situations. The approach proposed in this paper called Smart Enhanced Context-Aware for Flipped Mobile Learning “SECA-FML” aims to provide learners with an adapted course content format based on their context by taking into account the different context dimensions and especially the mobile device context. The latter has a significant influence on multimedia content in adaptive mobile learning. The contribution was applied in the context of the flipped learning in order to manage the heterogeneity of context imposed by this approach. To validate our contribution, we have developed an Android mobile application. This application has been made available to learners to try and exploit it. At the end of the experimentation phase, the learner is asked to complete a questionnaire. Based on this questionnaire, we measured the reliability and effectiveness of our contribution, as well as the satisfaction of the learners towards the latter. The evaluation results showed that the use of the context dimensions and specifically the device context in adaptive mobile learning is more beneficial for learners especially in the flipped classroom.     

Embedding engaged learning in high enrollmentlecture-based classes

Engaged learning opportunities have become powerful foundations upon which students build lifelong skills and organizational capacities. Research has empirically validated the long-term positive learning impacts of active and experiential learning opportunities for students. As such, institutional administrators and external stakeholders have encouraged and, in some cases, required that faculty use engaged teaching methods. At the same time, difficult economic circumstances continue to batter higher education, with class sizes increasing to improve efficiencies and reduce instructional costs. The confluence of those two trends has resulted in calls to integrate engaged learning opportunities in large higher education classes, engendering special challenges for educators. It is within this particular gap—practical guidance for transforming passive course designs to active ones—that our article contributes to the international higher education literature. We share our experiences implementing engaged learning practices into large university classes over a 4-year period, guided by an experiential learning theoretical framework. By analyzing text from our individual teaching journals and collaborative post-mortems, we are able to introduce an integrative model highlighting important contextual and logistical issues that must be considered: pre-class planning, in-class facilitation, assessments and feedback, training and renorming student expectations, and institutional context. We end the article with caveats and ethical considerations when introducing engaged learning into large classes.     

Factors influencing the pursuit of personal learning goals in MOOCs

MOOCs are promising opportunities for lifelong learning, but as promising as these learning opportunities seem, many learners do not succeed in pursuing their personal learning goals. Barriers to learning are the main reason for not finishing the intended (parts of the) MOOCs. This study addressed the question whether the factors age, gender, educational level, and online learning experience affect barriers faced while learning in MOOCs. The results show that it is challenging to combine work and family life with lifelong (online) learning activities, especially for learners in their early adulthood and mid-life. However, more experience with online learning positively affects individuals’ ability to cope with these challenges. Also, learners with a lower educational level may experience a lack of knowledge or difficulties with the course content. These findings may serve as input to inform potentially vulnerable learners about these issues and support them in successfully achieving their personal learning goals.     

语文“学案”教学实验的教育学阐释

语文学案教学实验是一种集体无意识的本土化的教学改革实验,这种实验凸显了以生为本的理念,凸显了课前、课中、课后一体化设计的特质,实现了学习方式的转变。语文学案正在改变着教师的教学行为。但是学案的表征、价值以及教师个性等问题随之凸现出来,亟待研究者关注。     

翻转课堂中学生学习行为模式与知识建构研究

随着翻转课堂教学效果不断被证实,翻转课堂教学模式也在不断被推广。但是翻转课堂中学生的哪些行为模式与学习效果有关,仍然需要深入研究。本研究主要对学生在课前预习和课中讨论学习的行为模式进行分析,并以知识建构作为学习效果评价内容,对学生的学习行为模式与知识建构水平进行相关性分析。实验分析结果表明,在课前预习中,学习者的评论行为发生在浏览资源之后,学习者会对评论进行回复,发生多轮交互。在课前的讨论活动中,有部分学习者达到高阶知识建构水平。但是,学习者课前的学习行为模式与知识建构不存在强相关关系,而学习者在课中的学习行为模式与知识建构具有强相关关系。     

新课程背景下高中物理教学改革的尝试与反思

由教师课前准备、课堂组织教学以及学生情感的激励入手,通过具体的实例分析和方法总结,阐述了高中物理课堂教学改革的实践及经验,对物理课堂教学中培养学生的自主学习能力和激发学生的学习兴趣有一定启示。