Abstract
Engaging students in university mathematics classes can be a challenge for professors. One pedagogical technique is the use of pre-class videos in a flipped classroom. The students are exposed to the concepts and theories before attending class so that class time can be devoted to interacting with the content to better understand it. Most of the research into the flipped classroom shows that the students generally like the idea and feel they benefit from the approach; but to date, there is no conclusive research showing that students’ improve their grades. This research is a precursor to a larger study on the flipped classroom in university mathematics classes and investigates the types of videos undergraduate students prefer to help guide the development of a pre-class videos library. Eight-one students in three university mathematics classes in a private university in the United Arab Emirates were involved in the study.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41039-015-0026-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Background information As Bishop andVerleger (2013) note, “there is a considerable amount of buzz in academic circles at all levels, focused around the flipped classroom ... [but] there is a lack of consensus on what exactly the flipped classroom is”
An organization devoted to the flipped classroom, the flipped learning network offers the following definition of flipped learning: A pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter
The results suggest that the majority of students preferred the flipped classroom and would rather take future mathematics classes in this manner
Summary
Background information As Bishop andVerleger (2013) note, “there is a considerable amount of buzz in academic circles at all levels, focused around the flipped classroom ... [but] there is a lack of consensus on what exactly the flipped classroom is”. Flipped learning, by encouraging a shift to a learning paradigm in higher education and by moving direct instruction to the individual space, “addresses one challenge facing many instructors interested in creating dynamic learning environments: How to free up time during class” The benefits of the flipped classroom to the students are numerous and encourage high-impact practices These practices include, “students taking responsibility for their own learning, investing time and energy in practice, collaborating with classmates around challenging learning activities, receiving and responding to frequent and timely feedback from instructors, and seeking to connect their learning to real-life applications” Interaction and active learning opportunities are increased during class time, and all students, regardless of ability can be engaged and challenged to further their understanding of the material by their peers and their instructors
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