A comparative study of the teaching effect in a ‘flipped’ MOOC class and a traditional class

Xiaolu Chen and Helan Wu
Tongji University
Shanghai, China

MOOC and flipped classes are models of instruction which have sprung up in the last few years, and are focused on in educational circles all over the world. In the School of Physics Science and Engineering at Tongji University, we have integrated the teaching method in flipped classes with a MOOC teaching platform, which is called a ‘flipped MOOC class’. The aim of this paper is to assess whether this improves the quality of instruction in college physics classes and enhances student performance. Two second-year physics classes in the University were randomly chosen as research subjects, with one class being taught in the traditonal way and the other with the flipped MOOC method. In order to guarantee a reliable foundation for comparing the student learning effect in these two approaches, we analysed the rationality of the teaching process and the evaluation method. After a correlation analysis of the students’ records for both classes, we concluded that the flipped MOOC class showed an enhanced teaching effect and better student grades than the traditonal class. In the process, some unexpected problems arose, and we are considering why they happened, and reflecting on what to do to ensure the promotion of quality instruction in college physics classes and enhance the performance of students through this flipped MOOC class.