Teaching Computational Methods in a Flipped Format

Author / Creator

AAPT SM20 (2020)

Conferences

AAPT SM20 PAR-B.07 Upper Division Undergraduate (2020)

Available as

Online

Summary

Undergraduate physics students are often required to take a course in computational methods. I will describe an approach to presenting this course in a flipped format. The background lecture for ea...

Undergraduate physics students are often required to take a course in computational methods. I will describe an approach to presenting this course in a flipped format. The background lecture for each topic are moved outside of the classroom, in the form of YouTube videos embedded in interactive Jupyter notebooks. A Jupyter notebook is an open-source web application that combines formatted text, executable code, images, videos, and interactive widgets. A plugin for the notebook, called nbgrader, provides for automated grading of coded assignments. In class, students work in small groups to complete programming challenges, applying the techniques described in the videos. The first two assignments each week included built in automated tests, while the more challenging third assignment does not. This approach provides students with immediate feedback as they develop their coding skills, while also encouraging them to think of ways to debug their own code. Students also complete two larger group projects in place of a midterm and final exam. Surveys of student attitudes showed a preference for the flipped presentation when compared to a traditional section of the course, while learning outcomes were equivalent.

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