Using lightboard video lectures to improve student learning in a flipped classroom environment

Abstract

This paper examines how the online content of a flipped (inverted) course within the Civil Engineering program was improved through the use of online videos created using a Lightboard. Unlike traditional whiteboards which require the lecturer to have his/her back to the camera during recording, the Lightboard is an innovative technology which allows the lecturer to face the camera while recording the lesson. Since the clear glass board of the Lightboard is lit up internally with LEDs, the writing on the board appears as a lighted marker. Quantitative data for the study was analyzed by comparing student performance on in-class learning activities in which the pre-class component (flipped classrooms require students to review lesson material prior to class) included Lightboard videos with identical assignments in which Lightboard videos were not included. Additional quantitative and qualitative data was collected through an end-of-semester questionnaire containing short answer and Likert-scale questions addressing the impact of the Lightboard videos on student learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.