WIP: Unflipping the Classroom: Analyzing the Consequences of Toning Down Blended Learning

Abstract

This research WIP paper describes the case of a first-year engineering course which, contrary to modern trends in education, reduced the presence of blended learning in its methodology, transitioning from the flipped classroom and intensive continuous assessment models back to traditional instruction. Typically, blended learning methodologies like the flipped classroom are regarded to have the positive effects of improving engagement and fostering a student-centered learning approach. However, there are also concerns regarding the potentially increased workload that this system imposes on students. This study analyzes course resource usage trends by students, comparing the final year under the blended learning method with the first year after the switch to traditional instruction. More specifically, the volume of student activity, its timing throughout the semester, and the preferred types of resources are compared between both methodologies. The study found that, in terms of time spent interacting with resources, there was not a significant decrease between both iterations of the course, although the types of resources favored by students do vary between methodologies. Additionally, the activity distribution throughout the semester is observed to be heavily influenced by the timing of exams in both scenarios