Flipped Classroom: A Comparison Of Student Performance Using Instructional Videos And Podcasts Versus The Lecture Based Model Of Instruction

As the new millennium is well underway, colleges and universities are challenged to meet the demands of the 21st century student with learning environments that are student centered, self directed, technology enhanced, and flexible (Flumerfelt Green, 2013) The millennials, hailed as the most technologically savvy students of this century, have forced educators to examine new instructional methods that incorporate the use of technology. To meet such demands, the flipped classroom has emerged as a viable alternative to the traditional, lecture style teaching and learning (Bishop Verleger, 2013) Catalyzing change in the physical classroom, the flipped (or inverted) instructional method offers "a mix of diverse content via the combined technological capabilities of the Internet, high performance computing, advanced networking, in home electronics, and mobile communication" (National Science Foundation, 2008, p. 6) Butt (2014) asserts that ,with the flipped classroom, instructional materials such as video recorded lectures, PowerPoint presentations and podcasts are delivered outside the traditional classroom setting, therefore, collaborative and interactive activities are completed during the formal class time. Similarly, Bishop and Verleger (2013) describe the flipped classroom as an educational technique whereby interactive group learning activities take place inside the classroom while the direct computer based individual instruction is accessed outside the classroom. Poon (2013) further describes the flipped classroom instructional method as "a mix of pedagogical approaches that combines the effectiveness and the socialization opportunities of the classroom with the technological enhancements of online learning" (p. 18) There are a number of studies that have reported student success and increased engagement in the flipped classroom. Proponents argue that the flipped classroom approach fosters student participation and active learning, creates opportunities for critical thinking, and embraces interactive technologies to deliver instruction (Hamdan McKnight, 2013) Kathleen Fulton (2012) further claims that this approach explicitly improves student learning and enhances social skills. Pierce and Fox (2012) suggest that the flipped classroom facilitates the development of students as active learners rather than passive receptacles of information and transforms the role of the instructor from "being dispensers of facts to being architects of learning activities" (p. 22) Additionally, students benefit from the flipped approach as it encourages self pace learning, increases student instructor interaction, and permits access to instructional materials on demand (Smith, 2013) Despite the stated advantages and benefits of the flipped classroom as an instructional strategy, there are a number of concerns voiced by its critics. First, many educators feel as though the flipped classroom undervalues face to face socratic teaching, thus creating an environment whereby the instructor no longer provides engaging lectures but "leads from behind" while assuming the tasks of observation, feedback, and assessment (Marshall, 2013) Secondly, while home access to computers and the Internet has expanded over the past couple of decades, there is still a large percentage of students who are impacted by the digital divide and consequently are not able to access required digital content such as video lectures, annotated PowerPoint presentations, and other electronic materials necessary for student development and learning (Hamdan McKnight, 2013) Finally, there is lack of consensus as to the design and structure of a flipped classroom as well as an insufficient amount of scholarly research regarding its effectiveness relative to student performance (Bishop Verleger, 2013) Educators and researchers alike are actively debating whether students in the traditional lecture based environment perform equal to or better than students in the flipped classroom.