Experiences with flipped learning in a postgraduate subject in civil engineering

Abstract

The design of a flipped learning environment typically blends online and face-to-face activities. A major affordance of this type of learning environment is the opportunity to use class time for students and the instructor/s to participate in collaborative learning activities [1]. The consensus in the literature is that lecturing is not the most effective instructional method and that active learning activities are more effective [2–4]. Flipped instruction makes time for active learning activities in face-to-face class sessions by introducing subject content before the face-to-face session, typically through online resources such as readings, videos, simulations and/or quizzes. Previous research [5] showed that postgraduate students preferred the flexibility of flipped learning over traditional transmission-based subject design. This paper describes how the postgraduate subject Concrete Technology and Practice at the University of Technology Sydney was redesigned to create a flipped learning environment. The focus of the flipped design was to develop students’ contextual critical thinking skills and apply these skills to issues encountered in professional practice. This paper will focus on three key aspects of this transformation namely feedback, collaborative ways of working for students and the instructor, and the time involved for the instructor.