Can A Flipped-Classroom Approach in Combination with Inquiry-Based Learning Foster Content Acquisition and Hypothesis Testing in Introductory Biochemistry?

 

Isabelle Barrette-Ng & Carol Berenson

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2016, Volume 37

Abstract

Hypothesis testing is central not only to the scientific method but also to understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. Although it is widely appreciated that students should develop hypothesis testing skills early in their undergraduate careers, there are many challenges in large-enrollment classes that can prevent them from deeply understanding the process of scientific inquiry. The hypothesis of this study is that a flipped-learning design will create a more effective environment than a traditional lecture format in which to foster both content acquisition and an understanding of the process of scientific inquiry. To measure the relative impact of these two approaches on learning, our study compares cohorts of students in different sections of the same large-enrollment course who have been exposed either to a flipped design or a lecture-based approach. In the flipped version of the course (cohort A), four inquiry-based modules were introduced. Each module consisted of podcasts reviewing essential concepts, in-class peer-learning activities based on formative assessment principles and/or interactive student-centered JAVA computer simulations in which each student is provided with the opportunity to design a virtual experiment, formulate a hypothesis, and record and interpret the results of the simulation. In the traditional version of the course (cohort B), the same material was covered, but without the use of podcasts, in-class peerlearning activities and computer simulations. To assess the impact of the flipped-learning design on content acquisition and the understanding of the process of scientific inquiry, three approaches were developed. First, a Biochemistry Concept Inventory (Villafañe et al., 2011) was administered to assess content acquisition in cohorts A and B. Preliminary data indicate a significant difference between the two cohorts. Second, the Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) (Lederman et al., 2014) was administered to assess understanding of the process of scientific inquiry in cohorts A and B. Third, focus groups were held to more deeply probe students’ views on their own learning and understanding of the process of inquiry. Although the project is still at an early stage, preliminary data suggest that the use of a flipped-learning design fosters both the acquisition of content and the development of scientific inquiry skills.

Keywords:  flipped classroom

Boston University (2015)