Flipping the Script: Reflection on Implementing the Flipped Classroom in Mathematics

Abstract

With the world moving forward, leaders in the university sector must proactively innovate in the delivery of teaching programs. The way students learn is changing, such as reduced lecture attendance and a growing demand for digital learning. This impacts staff workload and can negatively affect both the in-class and online student experience. We need to find ways to enhance student learning and engagement in an attendance-agnostic manner. In this work-in-progress paper, we describe the process of re-designing three courses from the Mathematical Sciences Department at Auckland University of Technology using the flipped classroom and active learning pedagogies. We reflect on the implementation of these courses, which were flipped for one semester (12 weeks) with students who had no previous experience with flipped learning. Despite challenges in involving students in pre-class tasks due to their unfamiliarity, positive feedback on lecture recordings and scaffolding of activities was received from motivated students. Future enhancements of each course will be incorporating students' feedback and the lessons learnt from the course’s first run.