Is a flipped learning approach suitable for part-time engineering students at tertiary level education?

Abstract

In a flipped learning model, teachers shift traditional educational arrangement outside the classroom and make teacher-driven instruction to student-centered learning. Meanwhile, students are the agents of their own learning and typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Very often, flipped classrooms are designed for secondary schools and for full-time courses and programs. As there has been growing interest in incorporating flipped learning into higher education, this calls for more high quality researches to inform practitioners on the use of flipped learning in different study modes. Rarely have they been examined in tandem with part-time study mode, this paper provides information on previous research studies and outlines benefits and major challenges of flipped learning particularly for this study mode. An investigation of a part-time higher diploma engineering course at Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tuen Mun) has been conducted. It reveals the learning needs in which flipped learning approach would have benefited their studies somewhat. The results of this investigation have been used as the basis for developing the course to allow a more effective flipped style. Pedagogical implications are drawn from the analysis and the way forward.