Increasing student engagement via a combined roundtable discussion and flipped classroom curriculum model in an OT and special education classroom

Abstract

The active learning concepts of the combined roundtable discussion and flipped classroom have been explored and implemented in various formats in K-12 and colleges and universities. Round tables include a discussion and debate on a specific topic. Each person is given an equal opportunity to participate. In a “flipped classroom” the teacher delivers lectures before class in the form of various readings and activities. The teacher spends class time engaging students in learning activities that involve collaboration and interaction. Though the combined roundtable discussion and flipped classroom have become widely used approaches, there is still an opportunity for more research to analyze the perceptions of students on these approaches and to measure the impact of both approaches. This qualitative case study examines if the combined round table discussion and flipped classroom curriculum model impacts the student engagement of junior special education majors and doctoral level occupational therapist majors in a university setting. Rubrics, focus groups, and instructor documentation of student responses were used to collect data in this study. The results indicated that student engagement and participation were positively impacted using these models. The active learning strategies of discussion and peer instruction were important to the success of the model.

Keywords

• student engagement
• roundtable discussion
• flipped classroom
• occupational therapy
• special education