Using a “Flipped Classroom” Model in Undergraduate Newtonian Dynamics

A flipped classroom approach was applied to a select number of topics in a sophomore level undergraduate Newtonian dynamics course. Although the theory and benefits of the flipped classroom model are discussed, the primary focus of this paper is to present the approach and the practical implementation of using this model. Advantages, such as student retention and reduced faculty tutoring, are discussed, as well as disadvantages, such as the investment of time needed for making the videos and the amount of time needed to learn the software. Lastly, best practices and lessons from the experience are shared. Background and Theory In recent years the concept of the flipped classroom has gained popularity and has been shown to improve student learning [1]. We decided to integrate this approach into our undergraduate Newtonian dynamics class to leverage technology, optimize active learning with instructors present, and reduce faculty tutoring loads. In this method of teaching, the in-class time is dedicated to active learning, while the lectures leverage technology to supplement in class time with on-line videos. The lower levels of learning in Bloom’s taxonomy [2], such as remembering and understanding, are delivered to the students through on-line lectures. The higher levels of learning, such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating, take place in the classroom with the instructor as a guide. To achieve this, in class time is devoted to guided instruction where students work through problems and examples with the instructor present to provide assistance and answer questions. Figure 1 shows a simplified illustration of the flipped classroom paradigm. The current college age students have been dubbed the Millennial Generation. Howe and Strauss [3] document the seven core traits of the millennial generation. One of these traits, that is of particular interest to us, is that millennials are more team oriented than prior generations. More students report socializing in groups and fewer students feel lonely. With advances in peer-topeer technology, such as Facebook and Twitter, students are even more connected to each other. In 1959 James Bryant Conant’s report, “The American High School Today” [4], promoted an educational structure where honors students were tracked into more advanced classes than some of the other students. Many Baby Boomers and most of Generation X grew up in this structure. Today, especially in the younger grades, schools are combining students into environments were collaborative learning happens. [5] Since the students have grown in the team environment, it is natural for them to feel comfortable using technology in a learning environment. P ge 24319.2 Figure 1: Flipped Classroom Paradigm Millennials have also been dubbed “Digital Natives” [6], i.e., people who grew up in the digital world. Older generations are “Digital Immigrants”, or people who had to adapt to new technology. Millennials are comfortable with technology and enjoy the integration of this technology into their learning environment. For a generation that grew up “in technology” there is a natural extension to using technology in their classes. In 2010, Poh et al. [7] studied the electrodermal activity (EDA) of MIT students over the course of a typical week. EDA is a sensitive index of sympathetic nervous system activity and a high level of EDA indicates when a person experiences physical, cognitive or emotional stressors. The study showed that students had significant EDA activity when they were doing homework and taking exams, but only moderate levels of activity when they were being social and in laboratories. The students had the lowest level of activity when they were in class; these levels were similar to the levels seen when the student was watching television. From a pedagogical perspective, this is concerning; at the times we expect our students to be learning, their EDA is at its lowest. The flipped classroom the students would be most engaged with working problems when they are interacting with the instructor. At the US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), like many other schools, the students are overcommitted. Over 70% of our students participate in varsity athletics. On top of normal student activities, like academics and athletics, our students also have additional military duties and responsibilities. As a result, USCGA students are often sleepy in class. One primary reason we considered this new model for teaching was to mitigate this atmosphere; we want to have the instructors engage with the students when they were the most active. This model offers advantages not only in improved student-teacher interactions, but also in student retention [8]. Lang and McBeath, [8], suggested people only retain 5% of a lecture and 30% of in-class demonstrations. Retention has been shown to be significantly greater when classroom instruction includes group discussion (50%), individual practice (75%), and opportunities to teach others (90%). Additionally, the model offers the opportunity to leverage technology in a setting where undergraduate students are attuned to using technology, more P ge 24319.3 teamwork oriented and have a disposition to using technology in a student-centered learning environment. Most examples of the flipped classroom paradigm have been applied in science courses, but far more rarely has it been applied to engineering courses. As a result, the application, implementation and cost benefit of this model in engineering courses is not well documented. At the USCGA, students in the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering majors are required to take an undergraduate course in Newtonian dynamics. Typically, the course has been taught in smaller sections (20 person average) using a classical approach and delivered by traditional lecture. Because of the smaller class size, three to four instructors usually teach one or more sections each. While each instructor prepared their own lecture, lecture notes and examples were often shared to ensure consistency between the sections. Since the USCGA is only an undergraduate institution, there are no graduate students and no teaching assistants to aid in the tutoring or grading for courses. Newtonian Dynamics at the USCGA has traditionally had an abnormally high tutoring load for instructors (often greater than 10 hours per week per instructor) due to the difficulty of the material and the lack of teaching assistants. In the spring of 2013, the dynamics course was taught by four instructors across six different sections. In an effort to maximize the student-teacher interactions in each class afforded by the flipped classroom model, enrollment in each section was limited to 17 students. The flipped classroom model was not used for all topics and classes; instead, the model was used at targeted times when multiple lecture periods were spent on the same topic. In these cases, the initial lecture for each topic was presented to the class in a traditional lecture style while subsequent lectures on the topic were videotaped and watched by the students outside of class time. The specific details of the approach and implementation follow.