Resumen de Johnstone’s Triangle as a Pedagogical Framework for Flipped-Class Instructional Videos in Introductory Chemistry
Riley J. Petillion, W. Stephen McNeil
A growing body of educational research is demonstrating the improvements to learning gains and student performance that can be promoted by a flipped-classroom model in university chemistry courses. Usually, a core aspect of the flipped-class model is the student viewing of a preclass instructional video, allotting time for an in-class activity during the following lecture. Flipped-classroom instructional videos were prepared for a first-year general chemistry course at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. Unlike many flipped-class video resources, these videos are not just narrated screen captures. Instead, they are anchored in live instructor recordings, complemented by three different presentation modes, each designed for pedagogical correspondence to a corner of Johnstone’s triangle: narrated screen capture (symbolic), molecular animations (submicroscopic), and experimental laboratory demonstrations (macroscopic). Live instructor recording created a reliable persona for students to interact with, in keeping with tenets of social agency theory, and video format and design were informed by principles of cognitive load theory. Student responses to these videos and the associated flipped-class modules were assessed by using a mixed method approach. Semistructured interviews provided detailed student feedback regarding both student satisfaction and pedagogical utility. Quiz data assessing pre- and postvideo knowledge and student survey data on attitudes toward the flipped-class modules were also collected. Statistical analyses and coded interview data indicated general appreciation and higher satisfaction with flipped-classroom modules compared to traditional lectures, matched by a general student belief that the flipped modules enhanced their learning. Students feel that interactive questions embedded in the videos and the video segments aligned with the Johnstone’s triangle framework contributed positively to their conceptual understanding, while the humor and enthusiastic tone provided by live-footage instructor segments promotes both viewer engagement and trust in the authenticity of the instructional material.
