(61a) Impact of Flipped Classroom and Educational Videos on the Improvement of Concepts Comprehension in Chemical Engineering and Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology has introduced a new dimension to basic sciences, and it is rapidly developing and spreading to every field of technology, including chemical engineering¹. It has emerged as a powerful tool in addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development². Researchers from various scientific disciplines engage in fundamental research, as a parallel way to boost nanoscience competitiveness through building of academic expertise³. Corporations are also directing their R&D activities towards the exploration of novel ways to develop nanotech products³.

This work focuses on enhancing the understanding of nanotechnology concepts and capabilities by engineering students who constitute the scientists and industrial leaders of the future. For that purpose, meticulously selected scientific and technical videos were used both during class time and before class (flipped classroom). The combination of videos utilization for in-class learning and flipped learning has been adopted in this study to tackle the demand for a change in instructional methods that has been rising as technology advances. This demand has also become more conspicuous in the post-pandemic years, and especially as students’ enrollment has been continuously increasing in recent years. The utilized videos connect various nanotechnology concepts, including fabrication methods and characterization tools, to actual case studies and applications in chemical engineering and other fields in the industry. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools were also employed for the selection of the videos distributed to the students.

The performance of the students was evaluated in this study through their grades in assignments, exams, and term project, and it was compared to that of students of prior years that did not use videos for the comprehension of the pertinent nanotechnology concepts. In both cases (in-class learning and flipped learning), the videos were discussed in class to determine how actively the students participated in video watching and to what extent they understood the scope of the presented topics. More importantly, anonymous surveys about the videos were frequently implemented as part of the class assignments, motivating the students to thoroughly watch the videos. In addition, the surveys questions facilitated the collection of data on the improvement of student cohort traits, such as self-efficacy, study flexibility and learning engagement, while concurrently the opinion of the students on the quality of the videos and on ways for further improving the application of this instructional method were also obtained.

References

1. D. Romig Jr., A.B. Baker, J. Johannes, T. Zipperian, K. Eijkel, B. Kirchhoff, H.S. Mani, C.N.R. Rao and S. Walsh, “An introduction to nanotechnology policy: opportunities and constraints for emerging and established economies”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 74 (2007).
2. Basma Elzein, “Nano Revolution: Tiny tech, big impact: How nanotechnology is driving SDGs progress", Heliyon, 10 (2024).
3. Islam and K. Miyazaki, “Nanotechnology innovation system: Understanding hidden dynamics of nanoscience fusion trajectories”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 76 (2009).