Abstract:

The introduction of information technology in teaching has presented innovative opportunities to develop online pedagogy. One of the possibilities is flipped learning pedagogy, where the primary objective is to facilitate the students' self-directed learning within the collaborative group, supported by the instructor’s guidance. This fosters the student-centered approach where active student engagement is crucial, and the student owns their learning processes.

This article explores and presents the experiences of a student group on flipped learning in a higher educational institute (HEI), at Jamk University of Applied Sciences (Jamk) in Finland. The research data for the qualitative analysis is based on 15 Bachelor-level students participating in the online course Digital Business Models at Jamk in the spring of 2024. The data was gathered through digital learning diaries (LD) in the Moodle Learning Management System (Moodle LMS). The specific learning diary entries were analyzed by descriptive data-based content analysis, and accordingly, the students' experiences with flipped learning were examined.

The results indicate that students perceive flipped learning pedagogics positively although they also recognize some directions for future improvements. The students’ reflections suggest that the achievement of the learning goals varied between the students. Four categories were identified based on how well the learning goals were met. In addition to factual knowledge, flipped learning contributed to soft skills development. The identified soft skills included, among others, interaction skills and the ability to learn from others.

The study’s findings emphasize key factors for student success in flipped learning, such as using digital tools for effective time management, responsible study practices, and communal learning. In flipped learning, the student enables collective, reciprocal learning by committing to one’s learning. These insights are relevant for the HEI environment in an online setting and can be used to guide improvements in flipped learning pedagogy, enhancing student engagement and self-directed learning. By refining pedagogical approaches, the instructors can better foster active student participation and ownership of the learning process in higher education.

Keywords:

Flipped learning, higher education, online pedagogy, digital learning diary.