Impact of Flipped Physics Classes on the Performance of Engineering Students: University of Sharjah Case Study

In this paper we report the results of a case study conducted at the University of Sharjah, which aimed at investigating the impact of flipped physics classes on the performance of engineering students. The flipped classes were conducted in blended format with the aid of Learning Management System (LMS) tools provided by Blackboard (Bb), including Bb Collaborate. The focus of the project is to investigate the impact and effect of flipped classes on the performance of engineering students in an intermediate physics course (Physics 2). Students' performance was compared to other classes, which were taught using a traditional teaching approach. The midterm and final exam results were higher for the group of students who were taught using the flipped classes approach by 2.4, 4.18 and 4.85 points in all three summative assessment tools: Term Test 1, Term Test 2 and the Final Exam respectively, with p values of <; 0.001. Flipping classes allowed students to learn at their own pace, which was facilitated by the IT and LMS tools that allowed students to pause, rewind, and review lectures, as well as increase the amount of individualized learning. The conclusion of the case study strongly supports blended learning as a teaching methodology, which promotes interactive classroom activities.