Using Flipped Classroom and Team-Based Learning in a First-Semester Programming Course: An Experience Report

The use of the flipped classroom (FC) approach and team-based learning (TBL) has gained popularity in recent years by instructors in introductory programming courses (CS1), due to increased emphasis on student success and active learning. In this paper, we present an experience report about using FC and TBL in a CS1 course. We present the motivation for restructuring the course, the specific implementation, the results of two student surveys, and the outcome of several exams. We discuss the results, present what actions were taken during the course period, and what changes will be carried out in the future. The results from the surveys show that 47% of the students were pleased with the organization of the course, whereas up to 33% of the students were displeased (in particular the female students). About 60% of the students liked the TBL in class, but about half of the students felt that the course lacked traditional lecturing. Finally, it was surprising that 44% of the students never or seldom read the textbook before class, while 74% watched the videos.