Flipped classroom learning in a first-year undergraduate engineering course

Flipped classrooms support student-centred learning and are increasingly being adopted in institutions of higher learning worldwide. This paper is a report on the findings of a two-year funded project conducted on the impact of adopting a flipped classroom approach on first-year undergraduate engineering students’ learning in a New Zealand university. A designbased methodology was adopted to allow for five iterative course refinements. Data collected through student achievement data, surveys, focus group interviews, observations and video analytics of student video-watching behaviour indicated a significant improvement in students’ learning and that they valued the flipped course components such as the lecturercreated instructional videos, in-class problem-solving exercises and continuous assessment in supporting their learning. However not all students prefer learning through this approach and more scaffolding is needed for first-year students to take up responsibility for their own learning. Implications for practice are offered

Affordances and limitations of learning analytics for computer-assisted language learning: a case study of the VITAL project

Learning analytics (LA) has emerged as a field that offers promising new ways to support failing or weaker students, prevent drop-out and aid retention. However, other research suggests that large datasets of learner activity can be used to understand online learning behaviour and improve pedagogy. While the use of LA in language learning has received little attention to date, available research suggests that understanding language learner behaviour could provide valuable insights into task design for instructors and materials designers, as well as help students with effective learning strategies and personalised learning pathways. This paper first discusses previous research in the field of language learning and teaching based on learner tracking and the specific affordances of LA for CALL, as well as its inherent limitations and challenges. The second part of the paper analyses data arising from the European Commission (EC) funded VITAL project that adopted a bottom-up pedagogical approach to LA and implemented learner activity tracking in different blended or distance learning settings. Referring to data arising from 285 undergraduate students on a Business French course at Hasselt University which used a flipped classroom design, statistical and process-mining techniques were applied to map and visualise actual uses of online learning resources over the course of one semester. Results suggested that most students planned their self-study sessions in accordance with the flipped classroom design, both in terms of their timing of online activity and selection of contents. Other metrics measuring active online engagement – a crucial component of successful flipped learning - indicated significant differences between successful and non-successful students. Meaningful learner patterns were revealed in the data, visualising students’ paths through the online learning environment and uses of the different activity types. The research implied that valuable insights for instructors, course designers and students can be acquired based on the tracking and analysis of language learner data and the use of visualisation and process-mining tools

Flipped teaching and flexible learning in an undergraduate engineering course

In a flipped class, lecture materials are assigned as take-home tasks for students to complete prior to attending face-to-face classes. The class time is thus freed up for the application of the learned ideas through active in-class inquiry, collaboration, and to address student questions and misconceptions. These activities can help students master threshold concepts (TCs) and develop the skills required of 21st century graduates. In a two-year TLRI funded project we investigated how a flipped classroom approach can impact student learning of technical knowledge (i.e., TCs) and nontechnical competencies (e.g., teamwork). The project examined: 1. the effects of the flipped classroom on students’ learning of threshold concepts (TCs), 2. the affordances of the flipped classroom model of teaching in a first-year compulsory electronics engineering course, and, 3. the long term impact of the flipped class on the development of engineering students’ workplace competencies. This research took place in a New Zealand university in an introductory engineering undergraduate course with enrolments of typically 150 students. In the past the course lecturers had been refining the course through a focus on TCs and the introduction of online tutorials. Since findings from these efforts have been promising in supporting teaching and learning, the lecturers sought to extend their course redesign to encompass a flipped classroom intervention. Using a design-based method, five cycles of the flipped classroom were implemented where each cycle was enhanced in terms of the course design, materials, and assessment, based on the results of the previous cycle. Two lecturers and students enrolled in the course during each cycle/semester of the flipped class participated in the research. Data were collected from lecturer interviews, student surveys, video analytics, student assessments, class observations and a focus group interview. Key findings revealed that students’ learning of TCs was enhanced and that they valued the flipped course components such as the lecturer-created videos, in-class problem-solving exercises and continuous assessment in helping them learn. The course lecturers noted higher levels of student engagement during in-class times compared to previous years. We will report on the overview of: 1. the design of the flipped classroom for the purposes of the course, enhancements made in each cycle and the impact these had on teaching and learning; 2. student learning and achievement as a result of the intervention, and; 3. implications for practice and policy for practitioners interested in implementing the flipped class approach in their context

Educational Data Analytics for Teachers and School Leaders

Educational Data Analytics (EDA) have been attributed with significant benefits for enhancing on-demand personalized educational support of individual learners as well as reflective course (re)design for achieving more authentic teaching, learning and assessment experiences integrated into real work-oriented tasks. This open access textbook is a tutorial for developing, practicing and self-assessing core competences on educational data analytics for digital teaching and learning. It combines theoretical knowledge on core issues related to collecting, analyzing, interpreting and using educational data, including ethics and privacy concerns. The textbook provides questions and teaching materials/ learning activities as quiz tests of multiple types of questions, added after each section, related to the topic studied or the video(s) referenced. These activities reproduce real-life contexts by using a suitable use case scenario (storytelling), encouraging learners to link theory with practice; self-assessed assignments enabling learners to apply their attained knowledge and acquired competences on EDL. By studying this book, you will know where to locate useful educational data in different sources and understand their limitations; know the basics for managing educational data to make them useful; understand relevant methods; and be able to use relevant tools; know the basics for organising, analysing, interpreting and presenting learner-generated data within their learning context, understand relevant learning analytics methods and be able to use relevant learning analytics tools; know the basics for analysing and interpreting educational data to facilitate educational decision making, including course and curricula design, understand relevant teaching analytics methods and be able to use relevant teaching analytics tools; understand issues related with educational data ethics and privacy. This book is intended for school leaders and teachers engaged in blended (using the flipped classroom model) and online (during COVID-19 crisis and beyond) teaching and learning; e-learning professionals (such as, instructional designers and e-tutors) of online and blended courses; instructional technologists; researchers as well as undergraduate and postgraduate university students studying education, educational technology and relevant fields

Educational Data Analytics for Teachers and School Leaders

Educational Data Analytics (EDA) have been attributed with significant benefits for enhancing on-demand personalized educational support of individual learners as well as reflective course (re)design for achieving more authentic teaching, learning and assessment experiences integrated into real work-oriented tasks. This open access textbook is a tutorial for developing, practicing and self-assessing core competences on educational data analytics for digital teaching and learning. It combines theoretical knowledge on core issues related to collecting, analyzing, interpreting and using educational data, including ethics and privacy concerns. The textbook provides questions and teaching materials/ learning activities as quiz tests of multiple types of questions, added after each section, related to the topic studied or the video(s) referenced. These activities reproduce real-life contexts by using a suitable use case scenario (storytelling), encouraging learners to link theory with practice; self-assessed assignments enabling learners to apply their attained knowledge and acquired competences on EDL. By studying this book, you will know where to locate useful educational data in different sources and understand their limitations; know the basics for managing educational data to make them useful; understand relevant methods; and be able to use relevant tools; know the basics for organising, analysing, interpreting and presenting learner-generated data within their learning context, understand relevant learning analytics methods and be able to use relevant learning analytics tools; know the basics for analysing and interpreting educational data to facilitate educational decision making, including course and curricula design, understand relevant teaching analytics methods and be able to use relevant teaching analytics tools; understand issues related with educational data ethics and privacy. This book is intended for school leaders and teachers engaged in blended (using the flipped classroom model) and online (during COVID-19 crisis and beyond) teaching and learning; e-learning professionals (such as, instructional designers and e-tutors) of online and blended courses; instructional technologists; researchers as well as undergraduate and postgraduate university students studying education, educational technology and relevant fields

Evaluating Flipped Classrooms with respect to Threshold Concepts Learning in Undergraduate Engineering

This paper reports on the initial findings from a two year (2015-2016) investigation of the impact of the flipped classroom on student learning of threshold concepts (TCs) in a large introductory undergraduate engineering course at a New Zealand university. As part of the flipped class intervention trialed over a threeweek period, a series of short themed video lectures were developed as a replacement for the traditional weekly lectures. The weekly practical lab session were redesigned to incorporate small-group problem solving tasks and assessment. Data from student surveys, interviews, class observations, and video analytics were collected and analyzed. Findings revealed that students were familiar with online videos as a learning resource; they had positive past experiences with using them and were willing to participate in a flipped classroom. However, most students did not watch all assigned weekly videos, including ones crucial to their TC learning. There is indication they thought learning strategies involving interactions with real persons to be more useful to their learning. This suggests that current strategies for motivating students to access and engage with the prepared videos need to be revised to maximize students’ learning opportunities

Innovating for Learning: Designing for the Future of Education

Teaching has moved online as the world has moved online and learning is losing its sense of physical location with the availability of many different options from mobile to MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). The impact of online learning is not confined to distance learning; when a student attends a campus university they are now as likely to meet with their fellow learners virtually as face to face. The education sector has yet to fully adapt to what this means, and indeed there strong signs of a built in resilience from providers, employers and students themselves which may mean an apparent evolution is more likely than a revolution. At the same time, there are some quiet changes underway that mean we should be preparing to innovate for the revolution to come. Some of those changes are considered in work undertaken at The Open University that has been disseminated in a series of Innovating Pedagogy reports. These reports allow the academic authors to be more speculative than is usual practice and engage in considering the future, while remaining based on a view of what is happening in the sector. In particular they adopt a position focused on pedagogy that balances technology-based futurology that can dominate yet fail to resonate with those actually involved in the teaching process. The annual Innovating Pedagogy reports cover 10 topics each, with some deliberate overlap from year to year and development of themes that show innovations moving into teaching practice. This is illustrated by two cases, the impact of MOOCs and the application of learning design and analytics. The development of MOOCs demonstrates the value of reviewing pedagogy that aligns with technology. While the use of learning design and learning analytics demonstrates how improvements in the way we describe our learning processes and the way we understand learner behaviour is helping determine how choices in pedagogy impact on student satisfaction, progression and success

Connecting Undergraduate Students as Partners in Computer Science Teaching and Research

Connecting undergraduate students as partners can lead to the enhancement of the undergraduate experience and allow students to see the different sides of the university. Such holistic perspectives may better inform academic career choices and postgraduate study. Furthermore, student involvement in course development has many potential benefits. This paper outlines a framework for connecting research and teaching within Computer Science- though this is applicable across other disciplines. Three case studies are considered to illustrate the approach. The first case study involves students in their honours’ stage (level 6, typically 3rd year) project, the second an undergraduate intern between stages 5 and 6, and finally, a MSc (level 7) project. All three case studies have actively involved students in core parts of the University’s teaching and research activities, producing usable software systems to support these efforts. We consider this as a continuing engagement process to enhance the undergraduate learning experience within Computer Science