Abstract
There is substantial international evidence that interactive teaching is associated with improved learning in higher education scientific domains, including mathematics. However, less is known about the specific dynamics of using a flipped class approach to interactive teaching. This study, conducted with the EPFL Propaedeutic Centre and the Centre for Learning Sciences, explores the student outcomes from a flipped class approach to teaching linear algebra for engineering students.
Methods and Results
An experimental design was used. Volunteering students were randomly assigned to either a control condition (a “traditional” class format) or an experimental condition (a flipped class format). Data from 547 students was collected over two years. The flipped format was not associated with any significant change in students’ average achievement compared to traditional lecturing. However, both replications in the flipped condition show a reduced attainment gap for women and students with less prior knowledge in mathematics.
Participants
- Simone Deparis (Mathematics Section and Propaedeutic Centre, EPFL)
- Cécile Hardebolle (Centre for Digital Education, EPFL)
- Himanshu Verma (Centre for Learning Sciences, EPFL)
- Roland Tormey (Teaching Support Centre, EPFL)
Dates
- Start date
- September 2016
- End date
- May 2022
Publications
- Hardebolle, C., Verma, H., Tormey, R., & Deparis, S. (2022). Gender, prior knowledge, and the impact of a flipped linear algebra course for engineers over multiple years.
Journal of Engineering Education, 111(3), 554–574. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20467