Just one more hit : Student engagement with pre-class videos in the evolution of an English for academic purposes course from traditional to flipped

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to use data gathered from a semester of a Flipped freshman English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course to examine our assumptions about Flipped Learning. To this end and to further improve the course, the following research questions emerged: How long is the optimal length of a video to capture students’ attention?; Why are some videos viewed more than others?; Why do certain videos capture students’ attention for longer?; Why do students engage in some online activities more than others?. To answer these questions, YouTube and Blackboard analytics were gathered from the second year EAP course and compared against students’ perceptions in surveys and a focus group. Based on what we learnt, we asked ourselves: How can we adapt our Flipped courses to encourage the successful patterns of learning of our learners and discourage the unsuccessful patterns? Based on the analysis of outcomes, we have identified that our EAP Flipped best-practice theories are effective, and we have further developed best practices that lead to student success and removed those hindering progress. Based on these implications, a number of clear lessons have been learned that will be incorporated into future courses.