STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH SHORT VIDEOS IN A FLIPPED CLASSROOM DESIGN IN PHYSICS

Abstract

We have implemented a methodology for using short videos as a part of a flipped classroom design in an introductory, multi-campus physics course for engineering students. These pre-recorded videos introduced theory and concepts to students ahead of in-class sessions, which enabled a reduction in the time used for traditional lectures. The time spent in classes puts emphasis on student activities, such as quizzes, Q&A sessions with the lecturer answering student-submitted questions, and problem solving. The physics course has a modular design for customized delivery to a multitude of study programmes and is coordinated by a team of teachers who provide localized classes at several campuses. Although teachers manage individual classes, the course uses an open learning environment which allows enrolled students access to all study materials published by any teacher. We present results from a questionnaire investigating student experiences with the use of short videos, by measuring the overall level of satisfaction with the videos, as well as collecting students' comments to the videos. We investigate correlations between student satisfaction with the videos and the comments they make, and whether students whose teacher is featured in the video are more satisfied than students without a personal relationship with the featured teacher. Students report overall satisfaction with video length and level of precision, while requesting more worked examples and detailed calculations. We identify a set of good practices for flipped classroom designs, based on the students' feedback.