Experiences with Flipped Teaching, Application in Construction Technology Subjects (Bachelor in Building Technology)

Abstract

Nowadays, the advances in new technologies involve cognitive developments that must be adapted to these changes. The university needs to actively participate in the development of new teaching methodologies in order to encourage more active student engagement in their learning. In the Bachelor of Building Engineering program, we have conducted a new experiment applying the Reverse methodology, also called Flipped Teaching, in two related subjects, Construction Technology II and Construction Technology III, both are second-year undergraduate courses. Flipped Teaching methodology can be understood as a shift in the teacher's traditional role, from being a mere information guide to a facilitator and a model for students' learning. For this reason, this methodology has been more widely applied in subjects that traditionally involved transmitting a lot of practical content mainly through theoretical sessions. The traditional classes develop a passive attitude of students' to their learning, which contradicts the expectations in the final evaluation where students are expected to demonstrate the practical skills they have developed in the course. In addition, the Flipped Classroom provides more opportunities to design other learning activities improving the students' learning outcomes, such as Individual or Group Projects and Collaborative Learning (greater student-teacher or student-student interaction during the classroom activities). In this paper, inverse or reverse methodology or Flipped Teaching is introduced using a real case in the Bachelor of Building Engineering program. This experimental course design is presented here along with survey results of student experience and specific competencies' acquisition.