The adaptability of the flipped classroom method: A case study of its application during the covid-19 crisis

This paper discusses about the versatility of the flipped classroom method, stressing its ability to adapt successfully to a diverse range of disciplines of different complexity and nature. The study builds upon the analysis of several international and successful experiences, and then focuses on a specific case: the implementation of this methodology in the first technical subject included in the Architecture degree taught at the Polytechnical University of Catalonia, as a mean to achieve a better comprehension of contents. The success of this experience can be measured through two short-term results: the increased interest among students towards the subject and the largest number of students passing the exam. In the long-term, with this experience it is expected to contribute to decrease the dropout rate (currently, around 22%1) among first year students enrolled in the Architecture Degree. In March 2020, the covid-19 swept across Spain, disrupting the traditional functioning of universities, and requiring an immediate switch from an in-person to an online teaching and learning environment. This situation has implied the rise of a new approach to the flipped classroom method, moving from the conventional b-learning implementation to an imposed e-learning one.