A Flipped Classroom Model for First-Year Engineering Mechanics in a Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift from in-person to online teaching, leading many educators to develop digital materials, which have since been largely abandoned in the return to traditional in-person delivery. At Newcastle University, however, the Stage 1 Engineering Mechanics module has retained its online lecture content and adopted a flipped-classroom model, where students engage with interactive “lecture packs” (featuring videos, worked examples, and formative quizzes) before attending in-person, problem-based sessions. The student feedback for this learning approach has been very positive, and whilst the online learning materials took time to develop, this is an efficient teaching method as time during Semester is freed up and material can be used in future academic years, requiring minimal updates. This paper offers practical insights and guidance for teachers hesitant to continue blended learning approaches in a post-pandemic era, when many educators may be wary of continuing to use online delivery methods due to the negative press and student experience during the pandemic era. The paper contributes fresh data on student preferences, experiences and performance with flipped learning.