Enhancing old laboratory experiment using flipped learning: Towards self-regulating collaborative groups in blended learning environment

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how learning outcome of a traditional student laboratory has been improved using blended and flipped learnings in a cost-effective way. The innovation process was based on four important elements: the subject matter, educational theory, redefinition of the roles of teacher and students, and technology-driven utilities intended for education. Also, prelab activities were refurbished in order to better prepare students for the actual experiments. Teaching and learning relationship was redesigned to support learner-centred model of education, and on-site activities occurring in the laboratory room were reformulated to advance self-regulation and learner autonomy. As a consequence, the role of teacher is steered towards mentor-like activity, and hence, a teacher-mentor can use his own expertise to strengthen the knowledge level of students via on-site professional facilitation.<br/><br/>To be more specific, prelab activities were delivered using a virtual laboratory and a teaser video. The main role of the teaser video is to allow a remote visit to the physical laboratory room before students actually enter there. The teaser video delivers interesting visual information of the laboratory equipment when it is fully operational, and hence, students can identify causal connections of all devices affecting the physical system from anyplace at any time. The virtual laboratory, on the other hand, enables students to observe several physical quantities and their curvatures which cannot be observed nor displayed by the physical devices in the laboratory room. Furthermore, the open-ended nature of the virtual laboratory also enables students to use it as a subject for their own active research. The teaser video and virtual laboratory help students to develop intuition, and they also strengthen students’ preparation in a timely fashion manner. As a result, more time is released for active on-site student collaboration and teacher facilitated intellectual discussion. Interestingly, the virtual laboratory is key to establish highly collaborative and activity-based learning environment inside the laboratory room. Finally, it is shown that the new implementation of the laboratory work significantly reduces implementation costs.<br/>