The Flipped Classroom: A Survey of the Research

Abstract The Flipped Classroom: A Survey of the ResearchRecent advances in technology and in ideology have unlocked entirely new directions foreducation research. Mounting pressure from increasing tuition costs and free, online courseofferings is opening discussion and catalyzing change in the physical classroom. The flippedclassroom is at the center of this discussion. The flipped classroom is a new pedagogical method,which employs asynchronous video lectures and practice problems as homework, and active,group-based problem solving activities in the classroom. It represents a unique combination oflearning theories once thought to be incompatible---active, problem-based learning activitiesfounded upon constructivist principles and instructional lectures derived from direct instructionmethods founded upon behaviorist principles.This paper provides a comprehensive survey of prior and ongoing research of the flippedclassroom. Studies are characterized on several dimensions. Among others, these include thetheoretical framework used to situate the study, the measures used to evaluate the study, andmethodological characteristics for each study. Results of this survey show that most studiesconducted to date explore student perceptions and use single-group study designs. Reports ofstudent perceptions of the flipped classroom are somewhat mixed, but are generally positiveoverall. Students tend to prefer in-person lectures to video lectures, but prefer interactiveclassroom activities over lectures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that student learning is improvedfor the flipped compared to traditional classroom. However, there is little work investigatingstudent learning outcomes objectively. For future work, we recommend that studies investigateobjective learning outcomes using controlled experiment or quasi-experimental designs.