Flipped Classroom as Blended Learning in a Fluid Mechanics Course in Engineering Technology

Flipped classroom has gained attention in recent years as a teaching method in which the time allocated for introducing new concepts and the time used for practicing them are inverted, in order to provide more time for problem based learning and class interaction under direct supervision of the instructor. The implementation of this teaching method is comprised of two main components, the pre-class activities, which consist of individual student work and are largely based on pre-recorded videos, and in-class activities, which are group activities supervised by the instructor. This paper discusses the implementation of the flipped classroom method in a Fluid Mechanics course in an Engineering Technology program at a midsize university. The study presented was conducted over four consecutive semesters, the data representing four different groups of students. In the study presented, an important percentage of the students took the course in an online setting, either synchronous or asynchronous mode, which created an atypical situation compared to other implementations of flipped classroom method presented in the literature. It was found that the length or the format of the pre-recorded videos were not critical factors in determining the students to review them before the class. The unconventional setting of the class, including both in class and online students, required originality in handling the in-class activities. The best approach was to delegate students to lead the group discussions associated with solving the problems, while the instructor acted as an observer when the discussions were constructive and as a guide when the solution was getting out of rail or when the students were struggling. A survey was distributed to the students at the end of the course as a post-class activity, concluding the implementation considered in the study. The results of the survey showed that the students were satisfied with the teaching method and found it important in their learning process