Application of the flipped classroom methodology in learning the development of mobile interfaces

Abstract

In the current educational climate, there is a growing tendency to employ a variety of learning techniques and strategies in the classroom. To achieve this, teachers utilise a range of resources and methodologies to facilitate students' comprehension of concepts. It is not uncommon for the same resources and methodologies to be employed in the context of disparate areas of knowledge.

This document outlines the implementation of the 'flipped classroom' methodology in the context of mobile interface learning development. In particular, an investigation was conducted into the implementation of this methodology in the instruction of Android Studio technology for the JetPack Compose toolkit. The development was carried out in the Kotlin language, which is currently used for the creation of applications and interfaces for mobile phones, among other specific uses.

To implement this methodology, a series of videos were produced, in which each of the elements that must be developed and considered when creating an interface were explained in detail. The students are expected to have a working knowledge of the Kotlin language. Gradually, from the fundamentals to the more advanced concepts, they have been introduced to the process of developing interfaces.

As with other flipped classroom applications, the working method involved students watching the videos at home, noting any queries or potential questions to be addressed in class sessions. Furthermore, exercises were conducted to reinforce the content presented in each video.

The key benefit of this study is the ability to learn a sophisticated software programming environment, which is inherently challenging, through a methodology that allows students to view the teacher's explanations as many times as necessary until they grasp the content. In a traditional setting, students may not retain fundamental concepts immediately, necessitating repeated explanations from the teacher.

The flipped classroom approach, which involved the use of pre-recorded software creation examples, enabled students to access and reference the material as required, and to practise and replicate the proposed examples on their own computers until they were able to independently develop their software projects.