A pilot study into use of regular short quizzes in a flipped learning class

Abstract

Flipped learning is an approach that has students develop a basic knowledge of a topic before it is studied. It allows class time to be spent on activities designed to build on that basic knowledge, enabling a better understanding of the topic. However, flipped learning does not work if the students do not complete the pre-class study provided by the tutor, as this results in the student not having the knowledge to benefit from the class sessions.

This pilot study looked at the use of short online quizzes at the start of each class session to address the issue of students not doing the assigned pre-class study, with the marks counting towards the final overall course grade. This approach was trialled on a Level 6 course in a civil engineering programme at a technical institute.

The research indicated that the approach resulted in more students accessing the pre-class resources, but many only did so within a day of the quiz, which did not allow time for deeper learning processes to be undertaken. This was reflected in these students having no visible improvement in exam marks.

The research has provided suitable data for a successful pilot study, with further work to be undertaken to more deeply understand and quantify outcomes. This work will also allow further student surveys to be undertaken that build on the data collected to date to improve the linkages between online resources and in-class learning.