THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

The Flipped Classroom: The Benefits, Drawbacks and Best Practices in STEM Education
Amy Keyser
Purdue University
ECCI 513 Introduction to Learning Design and Technology

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

Abstract
This paper analyzes the use of the flipped classroom method of teaching. The
flipped classroom method is where the activities normally done in the classroom are done
outside of the classroom and vice versa. For STEM courses, traditionally there are
lectures in class and problems to work outside of the classroom. This means that the
more passive learning (listening to a lecture) takes place under the supervision of the
instructor and the more active, difficult learning takes place in isolation. This paper
analyzes whether flipping a classroom will improve student learning by exploring the
benefits, drawbacks and best practices. Further research ideas will also be suggested.

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

Introduction
Using a flipped curriculum or inverted classroom involves switching
activities traditionally done in class with activities traditionally done outside of class.
Some researchers would also define switching instructor and student roles as a version of
a flipped classroom (Kim, Kim, Khera, & Getman, 2014). While a course can be
inverted for all disciplines, this paper will focus on STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) classrooms. In a traditional STEM classroom, the
instructor will take questions from the previous sessions homework, lecture on a new
skill, and then assign homework pertaining to the new skill. This procedure is flipped
in an inverted classroom: The students watch lectures at home, usually via prerecorded
video, and work on problems in class. The teacher becomes more of a coach or mentor,
providing help to students as they work on the problems. Since learning takes place
when the student is actively engaged in the material, we would expect that most learning
takes place outside of class in a traditional STEM course and it would take place during
class in an inverted classroom. This paper will evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of flipping and identify design principles that might increase the value of
this pedagogy.
Several experiments have been done comparing a traditional class format to the
inverted classroom. In one study, the researcher taught two introductory statistics
courses, one using a traditional lecture approach and one with the content being taught by
an online program and class time being used for student collaboration in solving
applicable problems (Strayer, 2012) . In a high school in Minnesota, budget constraints
caused a school district to move to a flipped model so that they wouldnt have to buy

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

textbooks ( Fulton, 2012a). In this setting, the teachers recorded lectures that the students
watched at home. In class, the students worked problems while the teachers helped
where they saw struggles. For the most part, the motivation for attempting to invert the
classroom is two-fold: to ameliorate the effects of time constraints (Schwartz, 2014) and
to move lower level learning outside the classroom so that higher level learning can take
place with the guidance of the instructor (Herreid & Schiller, 2013) . These advantages
may be realized, but there are also drawbacks to this method.
Advantages of the Method
Those who have attempted to teach using the flipped classroom method observed
many positive advantages. Most of these advantages are anecdotal. In terms of actual
learning, Milman states no empirical evidence research exists to substantiate [the flipped
classroom method]s use (Milman, 2012). However, Richard Hake (1998) did a large
study that compared 62 introductory physics courses, with over 6,000 students. He found
that students enrolled in Interactive Engagement courses, of which flipped classroom
would be a subset, increased their score significantly more on a standardized test than
their peers in Lecture Based courses. Several other instructors saw a modest increase in
student achievement, but their sample sizes were small and sometimes there were
confounding variables (Tune, Sturek, & Basile, 2013; Fulton, 2012a).
There are other benefits aside from increased student learning. The most obvious
benefit is more time in class for projects, inquiry, case based studies, etc. (Fulton, 2012b).
When the lecture is done outside of class, more learner-engaging activities can be done in
class.

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

Another benefit is that students have the ability to adjust the instruction to their
pace of learning. They can rewind, pause and re-watch the pre class lectures. They can
read a book in conjunction with the lectures. In a traditional lecture-based classroom,
instructors may not have time to slow down for the slower students, and if they do, the
faster students may get irritated and check out of the learning process. Students generally
perceive the pre class videos as useful (Enfield, 2013).
Another benefit is the increased student-to-student collaboration. Teaching others
has been shown to be a highly effective learning technique. As students work in groups
to solve problems, they are more likely to explain and ask questions of each other than in
a lecture format. Strayer (2012) surveyed his students and found that his flipped
classroom students quickly got used to working with each other to solve problems while
his lecture-based students rarely worked with each other.
Instructors may be able see where students are struggling earlier and quickly clear
up any misunderstandings. In a traditional classroom, instructors often dont know where
students are struggling until a quiz or a test. In a flipped classroom, students are working
through problems in class so instructors can clear up misunderstandings immediately. If
most of the class is struggling through a topic, the instructor can give an impromptu minilecture (Fulton, 2012a).
Other benefits include the ability of students to see the lecture even if they are
absent, more time to use classroom equipment and, according to surveys of the
instructors, the professional satisfaction of the instructor (Herreid & Schiller, 2013).

Limitations to the Method

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

Classroom flipping is not without its limitations. One concern is the time that it
takes to prepare recorded lectures. There are many sites on the internet where students
can find applicable lectures such as the Kahn Academy and YouTube. However,
instructors nomenclature and notation can vary and sometimes students are not able to
make the connection between their out-of-class pre-learning and their in-class activities
(Schwartz, 2014; Strayer, 2012). According to Enfield (2013), it takes about 2 times
the length of the video to make the video. Even then, the videos were not edited for
pauses or mistakes. That is a significant time investment before the course starts. Once
they are made, it might be difficult to tailor the instruction to the specific cohort who is
currently using the videos. Enfield recognized this limitation, but also pointed out that
once the videos were made, they could be kept for future use. So the time investment
could really be a start-up cost, not an ongoing investment.
Another concern is the ability of pre class materials to accommodate different
learning styles and disabilities. Again, it could be costly and time consuming to add
captioning or transcripting for the hard of hearing. The instructor is not available to
answer a question if students do not understand what they are watching. Some students
have indicated that they will do their own research when a topic is not clear, but some
may give up and come to class unprepared (Kim et al., 2014).
A third concern concerns equal access to technology. Some low-income students
may not have access to technology that would allow them to access the pre class material.
If there isnt sufficient bandwidth, the videos may slow and stop, which would make it
too distracting for students to learn from. Also, students may multitask while watching
the videos, so learning may be impeded. On college campuses, students usually have

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

access to computers and media through the campus library. For K-12 situations, this may
present a greater challenge if there is not time built into the school day to allow students
to gain access to the media.
Some who have flipped their classrooms also find initial resistance from students.
Students expect that their instructors will be purveyors of knowledge. When the students
are expected to pre learn material, they sometimes feel like their instructor is not
fulfilling his or her role (Tune et al., 2013; Strayer, 2012). This can be mitigated by
describing the method and the reasoning behind it at the beginning of the course.
A final concern is the ability to make good use of classroom time. Some teachers
that are good at delivering a lecture may not be good at using technology. They may also
struggle to find meaningful classroom activities that both engage all learners and lead
them to higher level learning activities (Schachter, 2012).
Design Principles for the Method
There have not been many controlled studies for the flipped classroom method.
However, there is a growing body of research that suggests some best practices when
flipping a classroom. First of all, it is necessary to prepare students for what to expect in
a flipped classroom. From the outset, they should understand what they will be expected
to do on their own and what they will be doing in class. A rationale for using the method
may help some students who feel like instructors are delegating their duties (transfer of
information) to a video or podcast to understand the different role of the teacher in this
kind of classroom. One researcher went so far as to suggest that those who prefer to
enroll in a traditional lecture-based course should do so. Two students out of eighty

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

chose to leave the flipped classroom in favor of a more traditional classroom (Mason,
Shuman, & Cook, 2013).
It is imperative that students view the pre class instruction so that they can
meaningfully engage in the classroom activities. Generally, giving a low stakes quiz at
the beginning of the class session is enough to motivate most students to do the pre class
assignments. In fact, one researcher found a drop of engagement and attendance when
the quizzes were no longer given at the end of the semester (Enfield, 2013). Other
avenues might be to have students turn in notes on what they learned or answer questions
or have discussions on Blackboard. These tools also allow the instructor to see how well
the students understand the pre class material.
The pre class training must be closely aligned with the in class content.
Instructors may have the schema to make the connection between the two, but novices do
not. If the instructor is not making the videos or podcasts themselves, it is very important
that the materials used directly line up with in class activities or students may not be able
to make the connection between them (Strayer, 2012). In order for the students to fully
absorb the material, it is suggested that the videos or podcasts not be more than 20
minutes (Talbert, 2014). This means that some lectures should be broken up into smaller
chunks, which aligns with the scaffolding concept of learning theory in general.
In student surveys, one area of concern was group work. Different students learn
in different ways: some students learn a lot from working with a group and some students
hate working with a group. It is beneficial for the instructor to help groups interact with
each other at first. There could be ice-breaker activities and even explicit directions on

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the roles group members might play in the group. That way, the group dynamics are
more likely to result in successful collaboration and less frustration (Kim et al., 2014).
The in class activities must be well designed, to help students make sense of and
deepen their pre learning activities (Talbert, 2014). Instructors would do well to use a
variety of activities to accommodate differing learning styles in students (Kim et al.,
2014). For the flipped model to have real benefit, in class activities must be designed to
promote the higher level thinking processes of Blooms Taxonomy (Talbert, 2014).
Future Areas of Study
Studies have shown that most students and instructors find the flipped method to
be more engaging. Students feel like they are learning the material better than they
would have with a traditional classroom. Some studies indicate that this is true, but other
studies indicate that there is no difference in learning outcomes between traditional and
flipped methods. More controlled studies need to be done to determine what factors of
the flipped model actually do increase student learning Mason et al., 2013; Tune et al.,
2013; K. P. Fulton, 2012a).
Another area of research would be whether there are limitations on the age level
and ability level of the students. Some research suggests that the flipped model could be
effective at any age level (Mason et al., 2013). Fulton (2012a) describes a high school in
Minnesota that flipped the entire math curriculum, presumably for all courses. However,
the example classroom where some choose to work in groups, while others prefer to sit
alone on the floor or even out in the hall,some review the video lesson as they work,
while others breeze through the problems at a fast pace(Fulton, 2012a, p.1) describes
a Calculus classroom. Students who are taking Calculus in high school are generally

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highly motivated and naturally good at math. When Mason, Shuman and Cook (2013)
surveyed their upper division engineering students, the students felt that the method
would be inappropriate for lower level courses. Just as with almost any teaching method,
it is possible that only a certain type of student with a certain type of motivation and
learning style would benefit from this method.
Conclusion
The flipped curriculum method involves students acquiring basic knowledge
outside of the classroom and deepening that knowledge during class time. Researchers
have found the method to be beneficial to student attitudes and engagement with the
material. There is some evidence that student learning outcomes are improved and
certainly not lowered through this method of teaching. More research should be done to
further refine the method and determine best practices when employing the method.

THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD

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Fulton, K. (2012b). 10 Reasons to Flip. Phi Delta Kappan(2), 20-24.

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THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM METHOD