2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In recent years, the flipped classroom has emerged as an increasingly popular teaching method in higher education, as it is seen as an effective way to promote active learning among students. Nevertheless, a crucial factor that has not been studied in-depth is students' preference for the length of videos in the flipped classroom. Although a few studies have considered the design process of videos and students' preferences for video length in a flipped classroom, there are varying recommendations, and a lack of data-driven analysis on how many and how long the videos should be. In this study, we investigated students' preference for video length in flipped machine learning classes offered during the spring and fall semesters of 2022. The flipped modules of this course include video lectures that vary in length, ranging from 4 to 20 minutes. Depending on the video's length, we required students to finish between three to seven video lessons before class time. To analyze student interaction with videos of different lengths, we statistically analyzed the video coverage from different modules and used surveys to gather students' preferences for video length. Our analysis indicated that the number of students completing videos before class time significantly decreased as video duration increased. However, once students started a video, they completed most of it irrespective of its length. Statistical analysis of homework scores did not show any significant difference in students' performance in modules with short videos compared to those with long videos. In response to the survey, a considerable percentage of students indicated their preference for short videos, as it helped them maintain focus. However, a higher percentage of students acknowledged that despite the varied video durations, the lengths were suitable for the presented topics. This suggests that relatively longer videos could be acceptable if the nature of the topic requires it. However, these videos should be interactive to help maintain students' attention.