Improving Student Learning in an Introductory Programming Course Using Flipped Classroom and Competency Framework

In this paper we report our study on the impact of implementing a flipped classroom model on student learning in an undergraduate introductory programming course. We use three components to measure student learning namely, final exam scores, competency acquisition and feedback levels. We compare a traditional offering with a flipped offering delivered the following year to a comparable student population, and with no change in the course content and assessments. We observed that in comparison to the traditional, the flipped model increased pass rates in the final exam and also enhanced competency acquisition. In terms of feedback levels, the flipped classroom provided more time for one-to-one in-class personalized feedback. Our approach is unique in the sense that we use a competency framework to be able to pin point the competencies that were improved as a result of the flipped model.