Flipping a Structures Class in a Construction Science Program

Abstract

Structures topics such as Statics and Strength of Materials have traditionally been taught with the lecture format of teaching. In this format, the topic is: 1) Introduced by lecture to explain the principals involved. 2) Examples are worked in class to reinforce those principals. 3) Students perform homework to further reinforcing the materials. 4) Finally students are tested to determine their knowledge of the topic material. Research has shown that during the lecture portion of the learning, students are not actively involved in the learning process. The lecture portion of the learning process is the largest amount of time the students and instructor spend together and during this learning step students are not actively involved. In this traditional teaching model, students are most actively learning during the homework assignments that occurs during a time students are working away from the instructor. The Construction Science Division structures professor at the University of Oklahoma has flipped this learning process by doing the more active and authentic learning in the classroom. The professor tasked the students with reviewing the lecture material in advance and then spent class time working on the homework in the hopes of increasing authentic learning. This learning model was generally successful but there were lessons learned. Using the lessons learned in the preceding year, the process was revised and repeated the next year with greater success. The process of flipping a structures class and the lessons learned are discussed in this paper with planned refinements to the process.