The Partially Flipped Classroom

Abstract

Flipped classrooms are gaining popularity, especially in psychology statistics courses. However, not all courses lend themselves to a fully flipped design, and some instructors might not want to commit to flipping every class. We tested the effectiveness of flipping just one component (a module on junk science) of a large methods course. We compared two sections, one in a traditional format ( n = 128) and the other in a flipped format ( n = 139), based on students’ academic performance and attitudes toward the class structure. Compared to students in the traditional lecture section, students in the flipped section performed significantly better on a quiz tied to the lecture content and rated their enjoyment of the exercise as higher. These findings demonstrate the utility of using partial flipped classroom techniques with large classes.