International Forum of Educational Technology & Society

Flipping a College Calculus Course: A Case Study

Author(s): Alpaslan Sahin, Baki Cavlazoglu and Yunus E. Zeytuncu
Source: Journal of Educational Technology & Society , Vol. 18, No. 3 (July 2015), pp. 142-
152
Published by: International Forum of Educational Technology & Society
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/jeductechsoci.18.3.142

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Sahin A., Cavlazoglu, B., & Zeytuncu, Y. E. (2015). Flipping a College Calculus Course: A Case Study. Educational Technology
& Society, 18 (3), 142–152.

Flipping a College Calculus Course: A Case Study

Alpaslan Sahin1*, Baki Cavlazoglu1 and Yunus E. Zeytuncu2
1
Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
// 2Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, Michigan, USA
// sahinalpaslan38@gmail.com // baki42@gmail.com // yezeytuncu@gmail.com
*
Corresponding author

(Submitted April 24, 2014; Revised December 2, 2014; Accepted December 4, 2014)

ABSTRACT
As online videos have become more easily available and more attractive to the new generation of students, and
as new student-learning approaches tend to have more technology integration, the flipped classroom model has
become very popular. The purpose of this study was to understand college students’ views on flipped courses
and investigate how the flipping affects their achievement in mathematics. We also studied how college students
prepared for flipped classroom sections. Finally, college students’ views were analyzed to see what they think
about flipping in terms of benefits and preparation. Participants were 96 college students consisting of mostly
freshmen & sophomores. We utilized descriptive statistics and paired t-test to analyze the data. Descriptive
statistics revealed that participants preferred watching flip class videos (44%) over reading the sections from the
textbook (17%) for preparation. Dependent t-test results showed that there is a statistically significant difference
between students’ average quiz scores from non-flipped sections and flipped sections. Students achieved
significantly higher quiz scores in flipped sections than non-flipped ones. Overall, most of the students (83%)
stated that flipped-taught lessons prepared them better.

Keywords
Flipped classroom, College calculus, Blended learning, Technology, Online video

Introduction
Today, we live in a technology and media driven environment with rapid changes in technology tools (Partnership for
21st Century Skills, 2011). With these rapid technological changes, teaching has become a more complex and
challenging profession (Moore, 2005; Good & Brophy, 2008). The art of teaching in today’s classrooms has also
changed dramatically because students’ learning approaches are different than those of the previous generation
(Brunsell & Horejsi, 2013). In addition, various forms of technology have been integrated into learning and teaching
environments. Accordingly, teachers need to have a large repertoire of skills and the ability to apply them in different
situations for success (Moore, 2005). A teacher should be able to “design, implement, and assess learning
experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practices; and provide positive models for
students, colleagues, and the community” (International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2008, p. 1) and
also use his or her “knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that
advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments” (ISTE, 2008, p. 1)
for effective teaching in today’s learning environments.

As technology has increasingly been used in teaching and learning to meet 21st century learning goals (Crippen &
Archambault, 2012), integrating appropriate learning opportunities, including the use of technology-enhanced
teaching strategies to improve students’ learning, has become indispensable (ISTE, 2008). To accomplish this,
teachers should learn necessary technological developments and use them appropriately in their teaching. If related
technology is integrated into teaching appropriately, students develop more positive attitudes towards the learning
subject and become more successful (Moore, 2005).

Effective teachers have to master a variety of teaching techniques and strategies to establish and maintain student
interest (Moore, 2005). In today’s learning environments, there are many different teaching strategies that have the
advantage of technology incorporation. For example, blended learning is one of the most common technology-
supported teaching strategies. In this approach, students first learn the content and instruction through online
delivery, with the students controlling the time, place, path, and/or pace (Staker & Horn, 2012). Second, as Staker
and Horn (2012, p. 3) pointed out, “students have the opportunity to be involved in teacher supervision and/or
instruction in a specific location away from home.” There are several types of blended learning models (e.g., Staker
& Horn, 2012). Among these models, the flipped classroom model is the most commonly used; however, research on
ISSN 1436-4522 (online) and 1176-3647 (print). This article of the Journal of Educational Technology & Society is available under Creative Commons CC-BY-ND-NC
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its implementation is limited. Therefore, examining the flipped classroom model in different classrooms is
indispensable. This study aims to investigate the effect of a flipped classroom in college calculus students’
preparation and achievement for both flipped- and non-flipped classes.

Theoretical framework
A theoretical framework for this study is derived from the literature on (a) a general description of blended learning
and the flipped classroom model, (b) benefits of flipped classrooms for students and teachers, (c) other advantages of
flipped classrooms, and (d) flipped classrooms in different contexts, levels, and subjects.

Blended learning and the flipped classroom model

The flipped classroom model is one of the most commonly used blended learning models. In this model, students
have the opportunity to learn new content by online delivery and instruction from a remote location (Staker & Horn,
2012), and in the classroom students do their homework or assignments instead of listening to lectures, and therefore
there is more scaffolding, student-teacher interaction, and opportunities for student collaboration in the face-to-face
class meetings. The content can be delivered via reading materials, videos, online presentations, or any combination
of different delivery methods. However, since available videos appear more appealing to the new generation of
students, many educators prefer using online videos instead of reading materials when preparing students out-of-
classroom for in-class active learning (Herreid, 2013).

Literature on flipped classrooms document four blended learning models (Staker & Horn, 2012); (1) rotation model,
(2) flex model, (3) self-blended model, and (4) enriched-virtual model. The rotation model has four sub-categories as
well, including (a) the station-rotation model, (b) the lab-rotation model, (c) the flipped classroom model, and (d) the
individual-rotation model (Staker & Horn, 2012). Of these four, the flipped-classroom model is the most frequently
used one, in which “students rotate on a fixed schedule between face-to-face teacher-guided practice (or projects) on
campus during the standard school day and online delivery of content and instruction of the same subject from a
remote location (often home) after school” (Staker & Horn, 2012, p. 10) and/or before school (Herreid, 2013) for a
specific course or subject (e.g., math). This variedly used approach has many advantages for 21st century generation
of students, as well as for teachers, administrators, and parents.

Benefits of the flipped classroom for students and teachers

Current studies report that the flipped classroom model has many benefits for students and teachers. For instance,
one study reported that students are able to make progress at their own pace (Fulton, 2012). Also, doing homework in
class provides great opportunity for teachers to see students’ difficulties and learning styles. This lets teachers easily
modify lessons according to students’ needs within this model. Additionally, classroom time can be used more
efficiently and creatively with a flipped classroom because students have the opportunity to familiarize themselves
with the content before class meetings.

Fulton (2012) found that use of the flipped model increased student achievement, interest, and engagement as well as
provided many opportunities for using technology effectively for 21st century learning. Pearson Partners on Flipped
Learning (2013) reported a study on using the flipped classroom model for at-risk students in a high school in
Michigan. In the studied school, student-passing rates were low in many subjects, including English language,
mathematics, science, and social studies. To solve the problem, school administration decided to use the flipped
classroom model. The administration provided teacher support, collaborative learning opportunities, and instructional
technology access prior to actual flipped classroom implementation. As the flipped classroom model was used
throughout the first semester, the student-passing rates, test scores, and college interest dramatically increased; the
students’ engagement improved; and discipline problems decreased (Pearson Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013).

In another recent study, two hundred science teachers implemented the flipped classroom model into their STEM
classrooms and found it had a big impact on student learning (Herreid, 2013). In their implementation, they first
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provided reading materials and videos about subjects prior to classroom meetings and asked for a pre-assignment
about the subjects. This approach helped teachers better adjust the flow of their lessons to address student needs
(Fulton, 2012; Herreid, 2013). Herreid (2013) reported that teachers emphasized several benefits of the flipped
classroom model, such as finding more time to spend with students on research, engaging students with scientific
equipment in the classroom, providing alternative learning opportunities (e.g., students who miss classes are able to
watch missed lectures on their own), and creating a conducive atmosphere for students to actively engage and enjoy
the learning process.

On the other hand, the teachers also pointed out possible negative qualities of the flipped classroom. For example,
teachers stated that some students who are new to this approach could be resistant because of their background in
traditional learning approaches. Moreover, the materials for the flipped classroom should be in good quality and they
should match with students’ level. Furthermore, preparing a good quality video can be very time consuming for
teachers and some teachers can be resistant because of their lack of experience with the necessary technology.
Therefore, using flipped classroom model may require some additional preparation time compared to the traditional
classroom teaching model for both teachers and students.

Other benefits of flipped classroom

In addition to many prevalent benefits of the flipped classroom, there are other indirect advantages as well. Brunsell
and Horejsi (2013) detected other benefits of the flipped classroom model including increases in parent involvement,
administrative support, and teacher job satisfaction in addition to higher student success and engagement. By
observing online lectures, parents were able to see what was going on in the class and the quality of content. In
addition, Brunsell and Horejsi stated that the availability of flipped classroom videos allowed administrators to see
how courses are taught in terms of content and quality in their schools. Additionally, the videos helped the
administrators establish trust and accountability with their teachers. The study demonstrated that teachers who tried
the flipped classroom model indicated improved job satisfaction. Seventy percent of their students increased their
standardized test scores, and 80% of the students developed better attitudes when they were taught via flipped
classroom model (Brunsell & Horejsi, 2013).

The flipped classroom in different contexts, levels, and subjects

The flipped classroom approach has been implemented in different ways within varied contexts. For example,
Ruddick (2012) conducted a project-based flipped classroom study in which students in a college preparatory
chemistry course used video lectures and PowerPoint materials at home to prepare for class and used class time for
problem-solving activities. In her study, Ruddick compared the final exam scores and overall course grades of the
standard lecture-based approach and the flipped classroom model. She found that students from flipped classrooms
outperformed those who were taught through traditional lectures. Moreover, students from the flipped classroom
showed positive attitudes towards learning chemistry and became more interested in chemistry. For a freshman
undergraduate calculus course, Kay and Kletskin (2012) developed a series of 59 problem-based podcasts in which
they covered some important concepts including operations with functions, solving equations, linear functions,
exponential and logarithmic functions, and trigonometric functions. They posted all podcasts to the course website
for a 21-day time span and tracked the number of students’ video podcast visits. Their results illustrated that
approximately 67% of the undergraduate students visited the video podcasts and they stated that this method was
useful, easy to follow, and the video podcasts helped their understanding of new concepts.

The dramatic increase in the use of technology means that teaching is no longer as limited to traditional lectures
settings, but in some subjects (e.g., mathematics, physics, calculus, etc.) the traditional lecture habit continues despite
the increasing number of preparation materials available for a flipped classroom model. Also, the number of studies
on the use of the flipped classroom model has varied from middle school level through college level. There are many
current studies on flipped classrooms in middle and high school settings (e.g., Fulton, 2012; Herreid, 2013; Pearson
Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013; Ruddick, 2012) and for college level subjects such as chemistry and physics
(e.g., Brunsell & Horejsi, 2013; Zappe et al., 2009). Yet until very recently there has been a lack of research on the
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flipped classroom in college level calculus teaching (Kay & Kletskin, 2012). This lack is notable because calculus is
one of the core subjects that is necessary for the understanding of many other subjects (e.g., physics, chemistry,
engineering, etc.) that are especially important for those planning to proceed in STEM-related fields (National
Research Council, 2011). Therefore, a close attention to the effectiveness of the flipped classroom at the
undergraduate level of calculus teaching is vital.

These are the research questions we sought answers to:

• How do college students prepare for a calculus class in a flipped classroom?
• How do college students’ achievements differ by instruction types (traditional versus flipped classroom)?
• What are college students’ perceptions about the flipped classroom model?

Method

Participants

The sample was comprised of 96 college students (due to a non-strict attendance policy, the actual number of
students varied by day) who took Math 152-Engineering Mathematics II course during the Spring 2013 semester in a
southeast Texas college. Student gender demographics consisted of 79 male and 17 female students. Most
participants were freshman (60) and sophomore (34) with only one student from junior and senior grades. The course
consisted of ten subjects/sections throughout the semester, and students were provided with flipped classroom model
opportunities in three sections out of ten. In other words, three sections were flipped and seven sections were
traditionally taught during the semester, and flipped and non-flipped (traditional) sections were compared.

Instrument

We developed two different short surveys; one to investigate how sections/topics were taught with the flipped
classroom model, the other to determine how the flipped classroom model affected college calculus students’
preparation, understanding, and their performance. The first survey was given three times at the start of each flipped
classroom section and aimed to determine how the students prepared for their classes, what types of preparation they
did before they came to class, and how the flipped classroom videos for that specific section helped them. The
second survey was given at the end of the semester to examine participants’ overall thoughts about the use of the
flipped classroom model in their classes. More specifically, the second survey was designed to determine how much
and to what extent the flipped classroom videos helped the students. Additionally, a pop quiz, designed to assess the
content of the section taught with videos, was given in class meetings.

Procedure

Calculus is one of the standard subjects for many college students. In any regular calculus course, students are
assumed to be familiar with certain mathematical skills from high school. However, in practice, a lack of preparation
was observed quite frequently. Consequently, many calculus instructors use class time at different junctures in order
to review these background materials. In an ideal setup, students are expected to fill in this gap by doing the
recommended preparation before lectures. The most common and suggested form of preparation appears as reading
relevant sections from a textbook before class. Unfortunately, this is not a common practice anymore among new
generation students. As observed in our surveys, about half of the students in our study did not do any preparation
before class. Only 17% of students read parts of the textbook. Similar studies in the literature (Hoeft, 2012) have also
concluded similar lack of reading before class.

For this particular calculus course, we decided to use the flipped classroom model to improve students’ achievement
through changes in the way they prepare before attending class. Not surprisingly, many students found watching a 10
minute video easier than reading the textbook. With this in mind, we prepared three videos for students watch before
coming to class at different times during the semester. In the videos we included some basic background material and
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a short introduction to the lecture. We informed students in advance about the videos and tried to provide them ample
time to watch the videos. Instead of campus-based video venues, we used YouTube as a platform. This was easier for
students to access from many different devices and locations. We administered surveys and pop quizzes after flipped
classroom implementations to gauge students’ involvement.

Analysis

We did descriptive analyses to answer the first question. For the second question, we ran a dependent t-test to see
how students’ quiz scores differed in a class taught with and without the flipped classroom model. We provided
descriptive statistics to disclose college students’ perceptions about the flipped classroom and how it helped their
preparation for their classes.

Results

For the first question, descriptive statistics revealed the types of preparation students did before coming to the
sections that utilized flipped classroom. Table 1 summarizes the frequency of students’ preparation preferences. From
these statistics, it is clear that students preferred videos for preparation more often than reading related preparations.
In each survey, student answers showed that they preferred watching flipped classroom videos to reading textbooks
for class preparation except in Time-2, where 39% of participants indicated that they did not do any preparation for
the class (see Table 1). In each survey, students were told to check all that apply for survey question No. 2, so the
numbers of answers added up to more than the actual number of survey takers. In Time-1, 76 students (the change in
the number is due to optional attendance) completed the survey, and of those, 41% watched the flipped class video
whereas only 11% preferred reading the course textbook for preparation. In Time-2, out of 62 participants, 24%
watched the flipped classroom video whereas only 14% read the textbook for the class preparation. Likewise, student
responses in Time-3 revealed similar patterns of preparation in which a sizeable percentage of the class (38%)
watched the video prepared for the class. Again, only 15% of students chose reading the textbook section instead of
watching the video. Overall, participants preferred watching flipped classroom videos (35%) over reading the
sections of a related textbook (13%) for preparation.

Table 1. Students’ preparation types in flipped classroom sections

Reading the Watching the Reading other Watching other Didn’t do any
Times
textbook flipped video texts videos prep
Time-1 (76)1 11 (11%) 41 (41%) 23 (23%) 14 (14%) 11 (11%)
Time-2 (62) 10 (14%) 18 (24%) 9 (12%) 8 (11%) 29 (39%)
Time-3 (67) 13 (15%) 33 (38%) 14 (16%) 10 (11%) 18 (20%)
Overall 34 (13%) 92 (35%) 46 (18%) 32 (12%) 58 (22%)
Note. 1 denotes the number of survey takers.

To answer the second research question, we ran a dependent t-test to test our null hypothesis in which we
hypothesized that students’ quiz score means were the same regardless of teaching styles (non-flipped versus
flipped). After running the t-test, we rejected the null hypothesis and accepted the alternative hypothesis stating that
students’ quiz scores were different. Our analysis showed that students’ average quiz scores from flipped classroom
sections were significantly higher (t(94) = 3.502, p = .001) than students’ quiz scores from non-flipped sections.
Students achieved significantly higher quiz scores in flipped classroom sections (M = 8.32, SD = 1.36) than non-
flipped-taught sections (M = 7.54, SD = 1.69). We also calculated Cohen’s d effect size and came up with d as -0.51.

To answer the third question, we analyzed the second survey questions separately and provided frequencies for each
part of the question to have a better understanding of what students thought about flipped classroom and how they
benefitted from those classes. For question No. 3 of Survey 2, the majority of the participating students (83%) stated
that flipped classroom sections prepared them better for their classes throughout the semester (see Table 2).

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 Table 2. Flipped classroom and students’ preparation
The video lessons helped me prepare more for the sections throughout the semester. Number Percentage
Strongly agree 19 26%
Agree 41 57%
Neither agree nor disagree 11 15%
Disagree 1 1%
Strongly disagree 0 0%

Students’ responses to the question No. 4 showed that 85% of students stated that the video lessons of flipped
classroom helped them perform better during the class (see Table 3). Only 15% of students were not sure about
whether flipped classroom was helpful or not. No students indicated any negative thoughts about flipped classroom
video lessons.

Table 3. Students’ overall thoughts about how flipped classroom helped their performance
Overall, the video lessons helped me perform better. Number Percentage
Strongly agree 15 21%
Agree 46 64%
Neither agree nor disagree 11 15%
Disagree 0 0%
Strongly disagree 0 0%

To question No. 6 in Survey 2, the majority of students (81%) indicated that flipped classroom videos helped them
feel more confident. The rest of the participants were neutral about the benefits of flipped classroom in terms of
providing confidence (see Table 4).

Table 4. Flipped classroom and students’ confidence

The video lessons helped me feel more confident during those sections. Number Percentage
Strongly agree 18 25%
Agree 40 56%
Neither agree nor disagree 14 19%
Disagree 0 0%
Strongly disagree 0 0%

In the Survey 2, question No. 5 was about how the students usually prepared for the class during sections when there
were no flipped classroom videos. Students’ answers to question No. 5 were similar to the question in Survey 1
regarding how they prepared for the classroom when it was flipped. Seventeen percent of students indicated that they
read the section from the textbook. Another 17% of students reported that they also consulted other textbooks.
Finding videos related to the section was the most popular choice among the participating college calculus students
(25%). Forty-one percent of students reported that they did not do any preparation for the class (see Table 5).

Table 5. Students’ preparation types for classes

How do you usually prepare for a class when there is no video lesson? Number Percentage
I read the section from the textbook 12 17%
I read other supplemental textbooks (including online resources) 12 17%
I try to find videos about the section 18 25%
I do no preparation 29 41%

Table 6. Students’ preference about course types

I’d prefer a course with video lessons over a course without video lessons. Number Percentage
Strongly agree 37 51%
Agree 23 32%
Neither agree nor disagree 11 15%
Disagree 1 1%
Strongly disagree 0 0%

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Students’ responses to question No. 7 of Survey 2 showed that 83% of students preferred a course with video lessons
to a course without videos (see Table 6).

Discussion and conclusion

The flipped classroom model has become very popular in today’s classroom, especially in the United States. In this
study, we aimed to investigate how integration of the flipped classroom model into a college calculus class affected
students’ class preparation, learning, and achievement. Concurring with other studies on flipped classrooms (Brunsell
& Horejsi, 2013; Herreid, 2013; Kay & Kletskin, 2012; Pearson Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013; Ruddick, 2012;
Zappe et al., 2009), we found that students in the flipped classroom preferred watching flipped classroom videos
more often than reading sections from the textbook. This study also revealed that the flipped classroom model
resulted in an increase in student achievement in calculus. Our findings also indicated several additional benefits of
the flipped classroom model, such as changes in preparation habits before attending class, improved levels of
understanding, and higher levels of self-efficacy during the lectures. Moreover, we found that students were already
using videos to study and prepare even when they did not use flipped classroom material in their calculus course. In
this study, the students preferred flipped class videos over other course materials for the class preparation. This is
congruent with previous research (Herreid, 2013; Kay & Kletskin, 2012; Zappe et al., 2009). Last but not least, we
learned that students were eager to choose a course with videos over a course without videos within the flipped
classroom model.

Students’ responses showed they much preferred and benefited from the flipped classroom model in which flipped
class videos as part of their calculus class were available. It was interesting to see that almost three times as many
students in this particular college calculus class preferred watching flipped classroom videos (35%) than reading the
section of the textbook (13%), even though reading calculus text is still the most common means of studying calculus
among college students. One way to explain why students prefer watching videos to other preparation methods is due
to its flexibility. Students have an option to watch videos whenever they want without feeling any pressures of time
or instructor observation, as well as no worry about being embarrassed in front of the class (Brunsell & Horejsi,
2013; Zappe et al., 2009). Videos are also convenient and useful for students who miss some classes (Pearson
Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013). Additionally, students may have more time and opportunities to interact with
their teachers and peers (Herreid, 2013; Ruddick, 2012). Thus, it is clear that watching videos as a means of
preparation in flipped classroom model is more convenient, useful, easy to access, and enjoyable for students.

The second research question revealed that students’ calculus achievement increased when they were taught within
the flipped classroom model. Students’ quiz results in flipped classroom sections indicated that flipped classroom
experiences with video preparation resulted in better achievement in calculus compared to traditionally taught
sections. This finding is parallel with the previous research, which found similar results in other subject areas,
including chemistry, physics, and engineering (e.g., Brunsell & Horejsi, 2013; Fulton, 2012; Herreid, 2013; Pearson
Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013; Ruddick, 2012). This is because within the flipped classroom model students
were better able to prepare for the class meetings and had more opportunities to interact with the instructor and peers
than during traditional lectures.

In addition, students in flipped classroom sections showed higher preparation efforts. The results revealed that 22%
of students in flipped classrooms did not do any preparation, while 41% of students in traditional sections did not do
any preparation. This result documented that students in a flipped classroom have higher motivation to prepare for
class. Also, findings from the third research question supported this assertion because students stated that flipped
classrooms prepared them better for the class and helped them learn better. Therefore, students with higher
motivation for preparation had higher scores in flipped classroom sections than traditional sections.

The student responses showed that the flipped classroom model prepared them better, helped them learn better, and
enabled them to feel more confident in learning calculus. Again, these findings can be seen to stem from the fact that
students in the flipped classroom model have more freedom and flexibility to choose their preparation methods for
the class (Fulton, 2012). They do not have the anxiety of missing or not understanding the material (Ruddick, 2012)
since they have opportunities to re-watch the videos when they miss something (Brunsell & Horejsi, 2013; Zappe et
al., 2009) and ask questions in face-to-face class meetings with their teachers or peers. They can watch videos before
and after class as many times as they want until they learn the materials, without being exposed to any external
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pressure or stress (Ruddick, 2012). Students may have felt more confident and ready for the class and therefore
became more successful with the flipped classroom teaching model (Pearson Partners on Flipped Learning, 2013).

The answer to question No. 5 (about when the flipped classroom model is not used) showed that almost half of the
students did not do any preparation for their classes. Other research supports this finding. Small (2005) found that
students do not go to college to learn but to socialize, and Arum and Roksa (2011) reported that students do not show
significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of
sophomore year because students do not study, write, or read much within traditional teaching methods. But
interestingly, the same student group in a non-flipped class found and watched Internet videos related to the subject
even though they were not required to do so. Therefore, it would be reasonable to say that using the flipped
classroom model with a video preparation method may result in better preparation, less anxiety, and increased
student achievement when teaching college calculus to new generation students.

Limitations of the study

This research study has several limitations. First, the sample of study could have been more representative of all
college level students in terms of grade level and gender distribution: The sample mainly consisted of freshman and
sophomore college students, and the gender distribution was 82% male and 18% female. Second, students were
taught with flipped classroom only 3 times out of 10 sections, and their success in the 3 flipped and 7 traditional
sections were analyzed to see whether there was a statistical difference. Intervention of more sections or an improved
study design (i.e., a true experimental design with separate control and intervention groups) could be more beneficial
in reflecting the effect of flipped classrooms on student achievements in college calculus learning. Third, the students
did not have identification numbers to track each individual student’s changes throughout the semester. Some
advanced statistical methods (i.e., Repeated Measures ANOVA) could allow seeing more details about how each
participant’s achievement, preparation type, and other attitudes change through the semester. Lastly, in addition to
using the survey method, acquiring additional qualitative data could give greater insight into participants’ thoughts
and opinions about their experiences. For example, personal interviews could be vital in getting more information
regarding participants’ preferences of preparation methods, their thoughts on how flipped classroom helped their
performance, and the benefits of the flipped classroom in college calculus teaching.

Implications

As observed in this study and similar ones in the literature, the flipped classroom model is becoming an effective and
common teaching model in different subject areas. New generation students find the flipped classroom model useful,
enjoyable, and appropriate in learning different content subjects, including calculus. Many students indicate that
watching videos for class preparation is easier and more enjoyable than reading the related section from the textbook
in a flipped classroom. Thus, we strongly recommend that teachers incorporate videos in their teaching. Accordingly,
teachers also enjoy teaching when students show up in class with better preparation. Students seek these resources on
online platforms even when the teachers do not provide them directly. Therefore it is essential for teachers to get
familiar with these resources and produce their own online tools so that students can navigate the course material
more effectively.

Also, the flipped classroom model proves to be effective in courses that require a certain amount of background
knowledge. The online resources and videos can be effectively used to remind students of topics that they are
expected to recall from previous courses. This can be especially useful in a calculus course where students can be
reminded of required information before class. This will save ample time for the actual topic of the lecture.
Therefore, integrating videos into courses would provide students with an invaluable learning opportunity that has
fewer time and social pressure limitations.

References

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Brunsell, E., & Horejsi, M. (2013). Flipping your classroom in one “take.” The Science Teacher, 80(3), 8.
Crippen, K. J., & Archambault, L. (2012). Scaffolded inquiry-based instruction with technology: A Signature pedagogy for STEM
education. Computers in the Schools, 29, 157 – 173.
Fulton, K. (2012). Upside down and inside out: Flip your classroom to improve student learning. Learning & Leading with
Technology, 39(8), 12–17.
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Herreid, C. F., & Schiller, N. A. (2013). Case studies and the flipped classroom. Journal of College Science Teaching, 42(5), 62–
66.
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for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 6(2), 12.
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http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers
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Computers & Education, 59, 619–627.
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Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2011). Framework for 21st century learning. Washington, DC: P21. Retrieved from
http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/1.__p21_framework_2-pager.pdf
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http://www.electroniceducationreport.com/content/pearson-partners-flipped-learning
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doctoral dissertation). University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
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http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning2.pdf
Zappe, S., Leicht, R., Messner, J., Litzinger, T., & Lee, H. (2009). “Flipping” the classroom to explore active learning in a large
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 Appendix

Survey 1

1. How much did you prepare for the most recent section?
a. Extremely b. Very c. Somewhat d. Not very e. Not at all
2. What did you do to prepare for this class? (Check that all apply)
a. I read the section from the textbook
b. I watched the video made for the section
c. I read some other texts about this section
d. I watched some other videos about this section
e. I couldn’t do any preparation for the class.

Survey 2

In this survey, we would like to learn about your ideas on the online video lessons that were made for flipped
classrooms in this semester.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

1. Did you watch the videos before the class?

a. I watched all of them
b. I watched 4 of them
c. I watched 3 of them
d. I watched 2 of them
e. I watched 1 of them
f. I did not watch any of them before the class.

2. Did you watch the videos after the class?

a. I watched all of them
b. I watched 4 of them
c. I watched 3 of them
d. I watched 2 of them
e. I watched 1 of them
f. I did not watch any of them before the class.

3. The video lessons helped me prepare more for the sections throughout the semester.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither agree nor disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree

4. Overall, the video lessons helped me perform better.

a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither agree nor disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree

5. How do you usually prepare for a class when there is no video lesson?
a. I read the section from the textbook
b. I read other supplemental textbooks (including online resources)
c. I try to find videos about the section
d. I do no preparation

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6. The video lessons helped me feel more confident during those sections.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither agree nor disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree

7. I’d prefer a course with video lessons over a course without video lessons
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither agree nor disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree

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