Comparison of student engagement in a large first-year statistics course between flipped and face-to-face instruction

The term “flipped classroom” has gained momentum with academics at universities thanks to the pandemic and technological advances. In a flipped classroom, students gain foundational knowledge, depicted at the lower level of Bloom’s taxonomy, through self-paced learning outside the class. Consequently, class time can be used for interactive learning activities where students apply newly acquired knowledge for problem-solving with the support of their peers and instructors. Instructors should be wary of the encouraging results of the flipped classroom, as some studies were anecdotal. This paper evaluates the flipped classroom through a comparison involving a control group. We compared student engagement and learning outcomes before (face-to-face) and during (fully online flipped classroom) the pandemic, demonstrating the benefits and challenges associated with a fully online flipped classroom. This paper emphasises the success of the flipped classroom hinges on the careful design of learning activities and catering the diverse characteristics of the student cohort involved.