Flipping the classroom in business and education one-shot sessions: a research study

Abstract

In response to the challenge of maximising the effectiveness of one-off information literacy (IL) sessions, library faculty at Lehman College experimented with the flipped classroom model. This research paper reports the results of a multi-semester quantitative study of the flipped classroom in business management and education one-off sessions. Researchers explored two research questions: Do students in a flipped session demonstrate greater knowledge before their session than students in a control session? and Do flipped and control students demonstrate significant, positive improvement in knowledge after their session? The researchers used pre- and post-tests to evaluate two crucial aspects of the flipped model: pre-class homework assignments and in-class active learning. A significant finding supports the usefulness of homework assignments in preparing students for these library sessions. Both education and business classes also reported high degrees of satisfaction with the flipped model. The article provides evidence that the flipped classroom, especially those using the pre-class homework assignments, can be effective for student learning in IL one-off sessions.