Successfully Flipping a Fluid Mechanics Course Using Video Tutorials and Active Learning Strategies: Implementation and Assessment

Faye Linda Wachs; Juliana Lynn Fuqua; Paul Morrow Nissenson; Angela C. Shih; Michael Pavel Ramirez; Laura Queiroz DaSilva; Nguyen Nguyen; Cheyenne Romero

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: Practice III: Multimedia Learning
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods
Page Count: 16
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31031
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/31031
Download Count: 644

Paper Authors

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Faye Linda Wachs California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Faye Linda Wachs is a professor of Sociology in the Department of Psychology & Sociology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Dr. Wachs received her Phd in Sociology from the University of Southern California, along with a graduate certificate in gender studies. Dr. Wachs’ published work focuses on gender equity, health, fitness, media, sport, sexuality and consumerism. Her book, Body Panic: Gender, Health and the Selling of Fitness, co-authored with Shari Dworkin was the recipient of the North American Society for Sport Sociology (NASSS) Distinguished Book Award in 2010. She is the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 2017 Winner of the George P. Hart Award for Outstanding Faculty Leadership and the 2012 Provost Award Winner for Distinguished Service as well as the 2009-10 Cal Poly Pomona College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Outstanding Advisor. Dr. Wachs is the former president of an international academic organization, the North American Society for Sport Sociology. Dr. Wachs’ current research focuses on the impact of facial paralysis, innovative research methods, social media and identity and STEM Education. In her spare time, Dr. Wachs enjoys hiking, running, biking, sailing, knitting/crocheting/sewing and spending time with her family and dogs.

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Juliana Lynn Fuqua California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Juliana Fuqua, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Sociology at California State University Polytechnic, Pomona who completed her doctoral degree at the University of California, Irvine, where she began her research in evaluating transdisciplinary scientific collaboration, including evaluation of a large National Institutes of Health Initiative. Dr. Fuqua is a quantitative and qualitative consultant, trained in survey methods, statistics, focus groups, interviews, and program evaluation. Her consulting work has included local and national transdisciplinary endeavors. Current interests include evaluation of innovations in STEM products and education, transdisciplinary scientific collaboration, and understanding how the social and physical environment interacts with human development and behavior.

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Paul Morrow Nissenson California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Paul Nissenson (Ph.D. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2009) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and numerical methods. Paul's current research interests involve studying the impact of technology in engineering education.

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Angela C. Shih California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Michael Pavel Ramirez California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Undergraduate fourth year and graduating Cal Poly Pomona student studying Psychology and Physiology.

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Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of a flipped classroom pedagogy in a mechanical engineering fluid mechanics course at [university name omitted for anonymity] during Winter 2017 and Spring 2017. In both quarters, two sections of the fluid mechanics course were taught back-to-back by the same instructor; one section was flipped and the other was taught in a traditional lecture style. Both sections met twice a week for 75 minutes each. In the flipped section, the course material was divided into weekly modules with each module focusing on a different topic. Flipped classroom students completed a series of activities for each module, including watching videos prior to class, taking graded quizzes and ungraded self-assessment quizzes, and participating in an active learning competitive timed team exercise called a "Team Battle.” Students in the traditional lecture section also had access to the videos, but were not required to watch them; class time focused on learning new concepts through lecture and example problems. Both sections were assigned readings and homework problems through McGraw-Hill Connect platform as a prior study ([citation omitted for anonymity]) demonstrated its potential benefit in boosting student performance in the course.

The impact of the flipped classroom pedagogy on students’ academic performance and attitudes was assessed by comparing the flipped and traditional lecture sections’ performance on similar quizzes and exams, Connect assignments, concept inventories, psychosocial scales, and focus groups. In Winter 2017, the flipped section experienced much lower failure rates (17%) compared to the traditional lecture section (48%). Focus groups revealed that students enjoyed the flipped classroom experience, especially the Team Battles and abundance of example problems. In Spring 2017, the flipped section continued to experience much lower failure rates (6%) compared to the traditional lecture section (23%), and also rated the course much higher on surveys. Although individual assignments and exams tended to not reflect statistically significant differences, overall course scores were significant even when controlling for GPA in major, and major of student. The experimental groups experienced a greater growth in positive psychosocial variables during the quarters compared to the control groups – such as feeling more confident, supported, and successful, and rating the course more positively – which may provide a possible explanation for differences in overall course performance.

Citation
Format

Wachs, F. L., & Fuqua, J. L., & Nissenson, P. M., & Shih, A. C., & Ramirez, M. P., & DaSilva, L. Q., & Nguyen, N., & Romero, C. (2018, June), Successfully Flipping a Fluid Mechanics Course Using Video Tutorials and Active Learning Strategies: Implementation and Assessment Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--31031

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This paper investigates the impact of a flipped classroom pedagogy in a mechanical engineering fluid mechanics course at [university name omitted for anonymity] during Winter 2017 and Spring 2017. In both quarters, two sections of the fluid mechanics course were taught back-to-back by the same instructor; one section was flipped and the other was taught in a traditional lecture style. Both sections met twice a week for 75 minutes each. In the flipped section, the course material was divided into weekly modules with each module focusing on a different topic. Flipped classroom students completed a series of activities for each module, including watching videos prior to class, taking graded quizzes and ungraded self-assessment quizzes, and participating in an active learning competitive timed team exercise called a &quot;Team Battle.” Students in the traditional lecture section also had access to the videos, but were not required to watch them; class time focused on learning new concepts through lecture and example problems. Both sections were assigned readings and homework problems through McGraw-Hill Connect platform as a prior study ([citation omitted for anonymity]) demonstrated its potential benefit in boosting student performance in the course.

The impact of the flipped classroom pedagogy on students’ academic performance and attitudes was assessed by comparing the flipped and traditional lecture sections’ performance on similar quizzes and exams, Connect assignments, concept inventories, psychosocial scales, and focus groups. In Winter 2017, the flipped section experienced much lower failure rates (17%) compared to the traditional lecture section (48%). Focus groups revealed that students enjoyed the flipped classroom experience, especially the Team Battles and abundance of example problems. In Spring 2017, the flipped section continued to experience much lower failure rates (6%) compared to the traditional lecture section (23%), and also rated the course much higher on surveys. Although individual assignments and exams tended to not reflect statistically significant differences, overall course scores were significant even when controlling for GPA in major, and major of student. The experimental groups experienced a greater growth in positive psychosocial variables during the quarters compared to the control groups – such as feeling more confident, supported, and successful, and rating the course more positively – which may provide a possible explanation for differences in overall course performance.

AU  - Faye Linda Wachs
AU  - Juliana Lynn Fuqua
AU  - Paul Morrow Nissenson
AU  - Angela C. Shih
AU  - Michael Pavel Ramirez
AU  - Laura Queiroz DaSilva
AU  - Nguyen  Nguyen
AU  - Cheyenne Romero
CY  - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA  - 2018/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Successfully Flipping a Fluid Mechanics Course Using Video Tutorials and Active Learning Strategies: Implementation and Assessment
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/31031
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--31031
ER  -