Comparing outcomes in inverted and traditional CS1

Abstract

We compare a traditional CS1 offering with an inverted offering delivered the following year to a comparable student population. We measure student attitudes, grades, and final course outcomes and find that, while students in the inverted offering do not report increased enjoyment and are no more likely to pass, learning as measured by final exam performance increases significantly. This increase is not simply a function of a more onerous inverted offering, as students report spending similar time per week in the traditional and inverted offerings. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, we find no evidence that the the inverted offering disproportionally helps beginners or those not fully fluent in English.

Impact of reward structures in an inverted course

“…The nine sets of these exercises were worth a total of only 5%, yet each was completed by 76 to 80% of those enrolled. For comparison, in an inverted CS1 that did not give credit for in-lecture exercises, only 57% on average even attended lecture in one offering [1], and 69% in another offering [3].…”

Beyond the Flipped Classroom

“…A common approach in the flipped model is to provide students with online video lectures that pose short-answer and multiple-choice quiz questions along with a few practice exercises along the way [8]. Our model differs primarily in that we drop the lecture component completely and instead scaffold the learning exercises with a narrative (i.e., tutorial) that replaces the didactic content traditionally found in lectures.…”

“…Recently, in CS education, attention has been placed on the inverted, or flipped, classroom approach as an alternative to a traditional model [3,5,6,8,10]. Historically, the philosophy of learning through action derives from experiential educational models suggested by thinkers like John Dewey, William Wirt, and Lev Vygotsky.…”

Structuring Flipped Classes with Lightweight Teams and Gamification

“…This is in direct opposition to the traditional 'sage on the stage' model which creates a social barrier between the instructor and the students. Recent research has shown that the flipped model can have a positive impact in CS1 classes [10]. The challenge associated with the flipped class approach is developing in class activities.…”