An Intervention in Engineering Mathematics: Flipping the Differential Equations Classroom

A flipped classroom design was implemented in the Differential Equations (DE) for Engineering course at the University of Louisville J.B. Speed School of Engineering. Student performance and completion rates were compared to a previous control semester of the course, and student satisfaction was measured. Overall, there were significantly fewer W’s (Withdrawals) in the course, meaning a significant improvement in course completion. Additionally, results showed significantly higher performance in non-First Time students, or students that were repeating the course. As DE is a required course for graduation, increasing student performance and decreasing W’s will improve graduation rates and is of great value to the university. Student satisfaction with the course format was slightly below average, however as this was the first implementation of the flipped design, it is expected that future semesters with slight modifications will be able to improve on this baseline.