1. Flipping Physics
Paul Heiney
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Physics 101
•Introductory mechanics, mostly for premedical students
•Academic year: 2-4 sections of 80-100
•Summer session: typically 35-50 students
The “Flipped” Model:
•Lectures online (short videos)
•Homework in class (with teacher assistance)
Physics 101, Summer 2012
•Lectures, textbook online
•Classroom “lecture” largely replaced by interactive exercises
•Still some homework, but reduced
•Same exams, labs as before

2. Online Before Class
1) E-text readings assigned, with short quiz

3. Online Before Class
2) On Canvas, 2-3 videos, each 7-12 minutes, with short quiz
following
Mostly voiceover Powerpoint (use Screenflow), some short
demonstrations (mostly self-filmed)
I made 59 of these altogether during winter/spring 2012-2013.

4. Classroom Setup
Sit at round tables, café-style.
2 groups of 3 at each table.
Room incorporates computer
with projector (onto multiple
screens), smart whiteboard,
whiteboard with camera,
multiple “dumb” whiteboards.
Groups assigned by instructor,
periodically rearranged.
Formal roles within groups: manager, recorder, skeptic,
(energizer)
Class of 35, had one teaching assistant in the room.
Summer course—we had 2.5 hours with a break in the middle, 5
days per week.

5. Classroom Activities
1) Sometimes very short (30-60 second) recap of
videos. Sometimes short demonstrations.
2) 50% of class time: short, mostly qualitative,
“clicker” questions. 3-5 minutes each, discuss in
groups and then short classroom discussion.
Barrel of Fun
A rider in a “barrel of fun” finds herself
stuck with her back to the wall. Which
diagram correctly shows the forces on
her?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Choice One
Choice Two
Choice Three
Choice Four
Choice Five
Choice Six

6. Classroom Activities
3) Longer structured group activities—a more
complicated problem, requiring some calculation,
typically takes 30-45 minutes, group turns in
written report. 1-3 of these in 2.5-hour period.

7. Classroom Activities
4) Every few days: group self-evaluation.
• As a group, which should we start doing that we are not now
doing?
• What should we stop doing that we are now doing?
• What should we continue doing the way we are doing it now?
• Is the division of effort within the group equitable?

8. Outside of Class
1) Homework assignments: quantitative, individual. A little less than
before because they also have to watch videos.

9. Outside of Class
2) Labs: 2.5 hours, twice a week, writeups done in lab.

10. Back in Class: Exams
4 midterm exams (1 hour) 1 final exam (2 hours)
Same style, format, difficulty as previous years.
Student performance same or better? Hard to judge, but certainly not
worse.

11. Benefits Seen
1) Students highly engaged in class—remarked on by all visitors
2) Students benefit tremendously from interactions with other
students—the “weaker” students learn strategies, and the
“stronger” students benefit from the talking through their
reasoning
3) Time spent with students is much more like office hours—one-onone or one-on-six rather than delivering information to a large
crowd
4) Student reaction generally positive
5) More fun for the instructor!

12. Challenges
1) A lot of work to prepare the videos, and some technical glitches
2) A few students do not like this approach (and it depends on which
students you are working with)
3) Students cannot ask questions during “lecture”
4) Online quizzes were kinda dumb
5) Time management—sometimes the group exercises took too long
and sometimes they finished very early
6) The teaching assistant is really necessary; need one “warm
teaching body” for every 15-20 students.
7) The physical layout with tables is crucial—this would not work in
an auditorium-type classroom. With current resources at Penn, we
could not scale up large introductory classes to work this way.