Virtual Spaces as Learning Media for Flipped Classroom: An Evaluative Study

In recent years, an increasing number of teachers have been adopting a new pedagogical approach called flipped classroom, in which traditional teaching for basic knowledge takes place outside the classroom to free up class time. In this paradigm, teaching content for out-of-class learning is delivered using a variety of digital media, most primarily slides and videos. However, self-directed learning using these media can be a significant challenge for students, particularly if the subject is unfamiliar to them or involves abstract concepts. Virtual spaces can be a good alternative as learning medium in flipped classroom approach because of their affordances, such as visualization and rich interactions. This paper describes the implementation of flipped classroom using virtual spaces as self-learning media in a 14-weeks long undergraduate biology course, and then reports how students perceived this approach. It was shown that the virtual learning spaces were well accepted by the students, and the majority of the students found them useful for learning using 3D visualizations and interactions. However, their engagement with pre-class learning was not entirely satisfactory. Some suggestions to develop virtual spaces as a viable option for flipped classroom will be discussed.