Exploring Flipped Learning in an Introductory Programming Module: A Literature Review

Introductory programming courses form the foundation of all programming qualifications, which are in turn essential to a well-educated information technology workforce. Sadly these courses cannot boast high retention or success rates. The inverted (or “flipped”) classroom approach has been touted as a way to engage large classes of mixed-ability students. To inform the design of a first-year university introductory programming course, the authors conducted a systematic literature review on existing flipped classroom implementations. Five electronic databases were searched with the keywords “flipped learning” and “introductory programming” for peer-reviewed academic literature published in the decade between 2013 and 2022 to answer the question “How may flipped learning be used to enhance student learning in an introductory programming module?”. It was found that while the flipped learning approach poses challenges to both lecturers and students, it creates an increase in engagement during class and ensures that better use is made of limited face-to-face time between instructors and students. Meaningful future research would focus on seeking objective student feedback to understand the nature of the student experience.