Comparing Learning in Flipped and Standard Introductory Physics Classes

Colgate University’s introductory physics course, Atoms and Waves, was taught in both standard and flipped formats in Fall 2014. In the standard format, students attended lecture on Mondays and Wednesdays, followed by problem-solving classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the flipped classroom, students watched lecture videos online and answered multiple-choice questions, then came to class only for problem-solving sessions. (Both groups of students also had a three-hour lab once per week.) I will report on the results of this experiment, including student movement between sections (several students transferred into the flipped classroom section), student-reported use of educational resources (lecture, videos, textbook, problem-solving classes), and grades earned, both in Atoms and Waves and in the following Introduction to Mechanics, which was taught purely in the standard format. The overall conclusion is that it\u27s hard to distinguish a difference between the two groups (especially given the small number of 45 total students) but the students were enthusiastic about the flipped classroom