EVIDENCE-BASED REFLECTIVE PRACTICE FOR ENGINEERING REPEAT STUDENTS IN FLIPPED LEARNING

This paper documents the author’s application of reflective practice, to enhance quality teaching in a flipped learning context. The implementation of CDIO Standards was demonstrated in the aspects of teaching and learning techniques (Standard 8), faculty development (Standards 9 and 10), as well as assessment and evaluation (Standards 11 and 12). This was particularly evident in the enhancement of faculty teaching competence via evidence-based reflective practice (EBRP). To help an entire class of engineering repeat students to pass their repeat module and avoid expulsion, an EBRP tool was utilized. The tool originated from Singapore Polytechnic’s Educational Development department and was subsequently customized by the author into a concise EBRP checklist suited for engineering schools. The 10 core principles of learning embedded in the EBRP checklist enhanced the repeat students’ learning experience of their repeat module, via lessons delivered by the author. Coupled with its inherent evidence-based approach, the concise EBRP checklist acts like a structured template for a lecturer to quantify and enhance quality teaching. For data collection and analysis, a “crosshairs” methodology similar to the conventional “triangulation” was employed. The data input was by means of both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. A “vertical line” was formed by two EBRP data points (qualitative), while a “horizontal line” was formed by two assessment data points (quantitative). Eventually, these lines intersect to form the crosshairs. The two EBRP data points were from both the lecturer and the student, whereas the two assessment data points consist of both formative and summative. Overall, the crosshairs methodology offers a widespread and balanced coverage for data collection and analysis. The tenet of every lecturer’s pedagogical technique is to ensure their students achieve the learning outcomes and progress academically. The EBRP checklist used in conjunction with the crosshairs methodology yielded significant positive assessment results. Eventually, majority of the engineering repeat students (above 90%) benefited from the consequential enhanced quality teaching to pass their repeat module, avoiding expulsion and hence progress to their next academic phase of the education system.