Rethinking Flipped Learning to Support Authentic Problem Solving

Flipped learning has been used to facilitate learner``s active participation, personalized learning, and collaborative learning in diverse education contexts. Students can be fully engaged in student-centered, collaborative learning activities in a classroom because they study with online lecture video before the classroom activities. Despite the advantages, flipped learning can be used merely to teach more in online and face-to-face (F2F) environments, which leads to students`` heavy workload and lack of connection between online and F2F activities. To address the limitations, this study aims to redesign flipped learning for deeper learning and authentic problem solving and to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the redesigned model in a higher education context. Through literature reviews and needs analysis, this study developed a problem-based flipped learning (PBFL) model. The model includes six design principles: Providing authentic problems and contexts Seamlessly connecting the online with F2F learning activities Enhancing communication between an instructor and students Encouraging students to plan, monitor, and regulate learning activities Facilitating negotiation of meanings and collaboration in classroom activities Providing adaptive instruction and support Based on these principles, we developed specific instructional strategies, learning activities, resources, and an online platform. In this model, the authentic problem plays an important role in connecting the online with F2F learning activities. Students create their own solution to the problem through online learning activities and then share it with peers in order to create a group solution in the classroom. The PBFL model was elaborated and revised through reviews of four experts with a Ph.D. degree in educational technology. Next, the model was implemented in an educational graduate course in Korea for three weeks. In this study, twelve students (8 female, 4 male) participated as part of their coursework focusing on e-learning design. The PBFL consisted of seven steps: (1) identifying learning objectives to solve an authentic problem, (2) learning with online lecture video, (3) creating an individual solution, (4) Q&A with an instructor, (5) collaborative problem solving, (6) whole-class discussion and consolidation, and (7) reflection. The first, second, third, and seventh steps were conducted in the online platform, and the others were implemented in a classroom. Through the seven steps, participants solved a complex, illstructured problem about e-learning design every week. Survey (5-point Likert scale) and interview data were collected after the three-week activities. Participants perceived that their competencies significantly improved through PBFL (M=4.15, SD=.48) and showed high self-efficacy of e-learning design (M=4.23, SD=.44). They also perceived that online (M=4.06, SD=.49) and F2F (M=4.27, SD=.41) activities were helpful for meaningful learning, the online activities were perceived to be closely related with the F2F activities (M=4.3, SD=.46). Although the difficulty of tasks increased from the first (M=2.08, SD=.55) to the third week (M=3.28, SD=.94), cognitive and collaborative engagement and situational interest were sustained across the period. Nevertheless, this study found a few challenges in implementing the PBFL. The challenges included lack of time in collaborative problem solving and conflicts with group members. Future research is needed to improve the PBFL model through applying the activity in diverse contexts and redesigning it based on systematic research.