Examining changes in learning and engagement of higher education students in a fully online flipped learning distance education classroom

Author

James David RielFollow

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Learning Sciences and Human Development

Committee Chair

Sam Stack

Committee Co-Chair

Ugur Kale

Committee Member

Denise Lindstrom

Committee Member

Jared Simmer

Abstract

The challenge of implementing effective online distance education courses for academics and institutions is a centuries-old task. We can look across early developments in the 18^th century with the creation and delivery of correspondence courses; into the 20^th century with teaching and learning across analog methods such as audio and video; and now in the current era of digitized mechanisms that enable the online classroom. This includes advances in internet technologies and computing abilities that are the empowering the backbone processes, bridging connectivity between the student and the instructor. As society has trended toward massive increases in online modes of instructional delivery, major gaps are still apparent when attempting to adapt traditional and modern teaching and learning methods to online learning landscapes. These pertain to the students’ abilities to retain knowledge as well as in having an engaging classroom experience. These gaps can include the misalignment of the motivations of the teacher and the learner, the ability to gain and retain the attention of the student when not physically face-to-face, and the propensity of retaining knowledge based on the effects of an experience in the online classroom. This study analyzes the flipped classroom model of instruction in a fully online course. The purpose of this study is to examine potential change in student learning and engagement and determine the impact of a flipped classroom model of instruction on the learning outcomes and engagement experiences of the student. These interests are the gauges in which to examine whether this model of instruction can contribute to more informed instructional design decisions in the future of online education.

Recommended Citation

Riel, James David, "Examining changes in learning and engagement of higher education students in a fully online flipped learning distance education classroom" (2021). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 8140.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/8140