Developing Students’ “Soft Skills” through the Flipped Classroom: Evidence from an International Studies Class

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Betti ◽  
Pablo Biderbost ◽  
Aurora García Domonte
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The goal of this study is to evaluate the application of the flipped classroom (FC) format in the international studies curriculum. Previous research has examined the impact of the FC on students’ performance, operationalized by test scores, and demonstrated the utility of this technique in the learning process. Our research goes beyond student performance to evaluate the impact of the FC on student class attendance and the development of a set of soft skills, such as teamwork, critical thinking, self-efficacy, academic self-concept, and perception of learning. In our experiment, we compare an FC with a non-flipped class that combines traditional lecturing with other active learning techniques, such as presentations, teamwork activities, and problem-based debates. The study finds that the FC did not have a substantial impact on either students’ performance, attendance, or soft skills. The differences between the two groups were too small to corroborate any tendency in favor of one or the other format. For the most part, students performed in a similar way. This can suggest that the benefits of an FC format might be less when compared with other active learning techniques.

scholarly journals Learning and Engagement in the Flipped Classroom of Analytical Mathematics

2020 ◽  
pp. 93-111
Author(s):  
Anastasia Sofroniou
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Mathematical Thinking ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Mathematical Education ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Learning Techniques

Learning techniques have changed over time in order to try and improve student engagement across different subjects in higher education. Mathematics has dominantly adhered to certain learning methods that use a more conventional approach. Interactive and active learning in Mathematics tend to be more common in further education yet, university level Mathematics is more complex, heavy in content and poses more difficulty in applying active learning approaches as a passive approach of traditional lectures has always been applied. The issues of learning problems in mathematics is ignored and the lack of metacognitive awareness of mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills seem to persist despite differences amongst educators on an effective learning methodology. Following the reform movement in mathematics education in the mid 1980’s, resulting from the dissatisfaction of conventional approaches, recommending the restructuring of mathematical delivery marked the need for modifications in teaching methodology. Employing multiple models to deliver lessons may implement the changes needed to drive student engagement and satisfaction to improve the experience in learning mathematics. In order for these methods to become applicable and effective in students’ experiences in mathematical education, educators need to be encouraged to present active learning techniques so that students can begin to facilitate their own learning which can be done through introducing approaches specific to the individual such as student-centred approaches. This paper evaluates the techniques used by mathematicians to deliver lessons and how it reflects on learning and engagement of students in comparison to the flipped classroom approach which inverts the common traditional lecture style used in classrooms. The flipped classroom model in this study is adopted to a topic from the university foundation level module, Analytical Mathematics, whereby results from the quantitative analysis undertaken show a decrease in the success of students’ performance suggesting a lesser impact on improved learning. With regards to engagement, observations from the qualitative analysis of the study highlight positive aspects of the flipped classroom model, specifically an optimistic engagement amongst peers.

A Method Based on Self-Study Log Information for Improving Effectiveness of Classroom Component in Flipped Classroom Approach

2016 ◽  
pp. 1818-1834
Author(s):  
Katsuyuki Umezawa ◽  
Takashi Ishida ◽  
Michitaka Aramoto ◽  
Manabu Kobayashi ◽  
Makoto Nakazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Statistical Difference ◽  
Group Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Self Study ◽  
E Learning

The flipped classroom approach has recently begun to attract attention. In a flipped classroom, the conventional roles of classroom and homework are reversed: students study on their own using digital teaching materials or e-learning prior to class and then apply their learning in classroom activities. The authors have developed a method for improving the effectiveness of the classroom component: the students in a class are grouped on the basis of the time they spent studying (as recorded in their self-study logs) and their degree of understanding (as revealed by a self-study achievement test), and a different learning model is used for each group to improve their degree of understanding. Although they were unable to find a meaningful statistical difference in the test scores obtained in an experiment using one class of 34 students, there was a notable difference in the way questions were answered. The results of a free-description questionnaire indicate that the group learning encourages active learning.

scholarly journals The impact of flipped classroom andragogy on student assessment performance and perception of learning experience in two advanced physiology subjects

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-92
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Rathner ◽  
Mark A. Schier
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Renal Physiology ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
The Impact

Flipped classroom teaching has been used by many educators to promote active learning in higher education. This andragogy is thought to increase student engagement by making them more accountable for their learning and increase time on task in the classroom. While there are several systematic reviews that point to improved student results, it remains unclear if flipped classrooms have positive learning effects in physiology education. Flipped classroom teaching was introduced in two advanced physiology subjects (advanced neuroscience, semester 1, and cardiorespiratory and renal physiology, semester 2). Changing the mode of content delivery reduced the time students needed to spend listening to lectures by one-third, without sacrificing either learning content or academic standards. Higher pass rates were observed with larger number of students earning distinction and high-distinction grades. Statistically significant improvements in final grades were observed from both subjects ( semester 1: 2017, 49.28 ± 20.16; 2018, 53.29 ± 19.77, t268 = 2.058, P = 0.0405; semester 2: 2017, 58.87 ± 21.19; 2018, 67.91 ± 20.40, t111 = 2.306, P = 0.023). Finally, students’ perception of their learning experience remained at or above the university benchmarks (median score of >80% for all iterations of the subjects). While the most frequent and persistent area that students suggested could be improved was reduction of content, equal numbers of students commented that no improvement in the subjects was required. Despite the generally positive attitude to recorded didactic teaching content, classroom attendance remained very low, and students did not engage with the active learning content. This suggest that more emphasis needs to be placed on promoting class attendance by developing better active learning content.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON THE TRANSITION FROM THE TRADITIONAL MODEL TO THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM IN A UNIT OPERATION COURSE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clémence Fauteux-Lefebvre
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Entire Group ◽  
Unit Operation ◽  
Efficient Design ◽  
Design Skills ◽  
The Impact

The learning objectives of the Unit Operation course are to learn, understand and apply the operational and design principles of various separation units. For each unit, students must learn the process principles, how to apply mass and energy balances and how to use solving procedures in various contexts to design units, based on given parameters and operating objectives. The main challenges for the students are to develop the general design skills and the necessary knowledge of the theory principles, with a deep understanding of the various concepts and procedures specific to each unit. The traditional format of the course leads students to solve problems mostly during their study time, while the help of the teacher is not direct. A flipped classroom approach would allow students to revise, explore and acquire significant part of the knowledge online or on their own rather than during the lectures and then to benefit from more efficient design problem-solving sessions. It, however, requires adaptation and engagement from both the students and the instructors for a successful learning experience. In this course, the transformation is gradually implemented with the use of active learning classrooms and the development of a blended learning format of the course, to obtain an entirely flipped classroom. The access to active learning classrooms is one of the tools that could impact the quality of the flipped classroom organization, but also change the student’s experience, and was the studied. Having the suitable space, tools and seating organization to easily work in team and share their work with the entire group efficiently could help them to be engaged and to develop these new skills. The assessment of the student’s experience during the unit operations course in the active learning classroom showed that it promotes collaboration and it was appreciated by the majority of students, with a clear preference for this classroom over a traditional one for the various learning activities. It could then help reducing some obstacles to engage students in cooperative learning.  

scholarly journals “A little flip goes a long way” The impact of a ‘partial’-flipped classroom design on student performance and engagement in a first year undergraduate economics classroom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Singh
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Classroom Design ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Traditional Lectures ◽  
Undergraduate Economics ◽  
The Impact

The flipped classroom is gaining prominence as an active learning pedagogy to engage a new generation of students. However, all courses do not lend themselves to a fully flipped design and instructors are often reluctant to flip lectures. In this study, I experimented with a “partial” flipped classroom design in a first-year undergraduate economics course. In this partial flipped format, traditional lectures were substituted with micro-lectures and the remaining class time was devoted to activities like quizzes, group work and student presentations. The full lectures were panopto recorded and put up on the e-learning site, Blackboard. This format enabled me to combine the benefits of a traditional lecture with a flipped classroom design. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the partial flipped classroom format, I compared the final exam scores of students in the partial flipped classroom with those in the control group, which followed a traditional lecture-based approach. The key results from the analysis revealed that students in the partial flipped classroom performed better in the final exams vis-à-vis students in the traditional classroom format. Furthermore, the partial flipped classroom format was associated with lower odds of students failing in the module. This format also resulted in better student engagement, more flexibility and enhanced student-tutor interaction within the classroom.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Flipped Classroom Model: A Case Study from Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Bilal Ahmad Pandow ◽  
Nihan Kutahnecioglu Inan ◽  
Ananda S.
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
The Impact

The flipped learning approach over the years has gained importance, especially in higher educational establishments that primarily focus on more personalized learning for the students. In this context, the current study evaluates a flipped learning approach which was implemented by a higher education institution from the Middle East region as a pilot project and analyses the impact of the flipped approach on the student performance from the educators’ perspective. The study focuses on different aspects like the impact of the flipped approach on student performance in a different type of assessments, the impact of the flipped approach on academic performance, learning and development, and academic support activities. Also, this article analyses whether flipped learning reduces the plagiarism cases, impact on student attendance, student participation in extracurricular activities, impact on student’s knowledge, influence on student collaboration, effect on improvement in the ability to solve problems and impact of this approach on helping students to take the responsibility of their learning and become self-learners. This study empirically identified the learning outcomes from a flipped class and provides recommendations for the educators and higher education institutions for successful implementation of the flipped learning approach.

scholarly journals Teaching Business English to Future Economists Using a Multimedia Textbook

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana P. Bykonia ◽  
Iryna V. Borysenko ◽  
Iryna M. Zvarych ◽  
Tetiana V. Harbuza ◽  
Myroslava V. Chepurna
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Business English ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the study is to examine and evaluate the impact the “flipped classroom” model-based learning environment accompanied by multimedia-based textbook entitled “English through Soft Skills” provides for the learning styles of the university students majoring in Economics. The study sought to identify tangible (seemingly measurable) and intangible (difficult to measure) gains the “flipped classroom” learning model brought to both students and instructors. A multimedia textbook “English through Soft Skills” was developed for the study. A multi method approach was used to gather feedback and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. Specifically, Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) software as SPSS AMOS and Textalyzer were used to process the students’ responses to survey questions. The results reported a shift in student preferences in learning, including a greater desire to engage independently with computer-assisted work, quicker problem solving, increased motivation to study, and improved time management and lifelong learning skills. Additionally, there was a shift in teaching approaches of the instructors, namely from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. The study may better inform building the learning process for the students with limited learning opportunities or studying the distance learning model. Despite the experimental group involving only the students majoring in Economics, this methodology could be applicable to teaching English for Specific Purposes to other majors, such as: Business, International Relations, Psychology, Law. The research is advancing the knowledge of integration multimedia tools into teaching, and specifically the use of multimedia textbooks in the “flipped classroom” settings to deliver Business English course to the students majoring in Economics

scholarly journals Redesigning first year anatomy and physiology subjects for allied health students: Impact of active learning strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Andrea Zimanyi ◽  
Nicholas F. Emtage ◽  
Pamela Lee Megaw
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Sport Science ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Active Learning Strategies

To combat high failure rates in an Anatomy and Physiology for first year Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Sport Science students, a flipped classroom was introduced in 2015. It became apparent that students did not engage with materials prior to classes, but they did engage with in-class active learning strategies. In subsequent years of this study, our focus changed to delivery with student active learning in mind. The active learning approaches introduced resulted in improvements in academic performance for all three student cohorts. Occupational Therapy students’ marks improved by 12.9% when comparing pre-intervention (2014) results to the end of the post-intervention period (2017), Physiotherapy students’ marks increased by 6.9%, while the greatest gains of 14.8% were seen in Sport Science students. When investigating the relationship between student performance and university entrance scores, students with high entrance scores demonstrated modest gains in performance, while those students with lower entrance scores benefited the most. Our results suggest that the introduction of active learning may result in the transition of the learning style of students under-prepared for university studies, to be more like those of more successful students; that is, to a deeper level of learning.

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