Learning to Develop Software with Flipped Classroom

Flipped Classroom has proved to deliver excellent results in higher education. This model gives students a more active role, one of the aims pursued by the methodologies outlined by the European Higher Education Area. However, a full integration of the model into university courses is not an easy task. In this paper, a study about the integration of the Flipped Classroom model in three courses of diverse nature is shown. The courses analyzed are Data Structures, Programming Fundamentals and Maintenance and Evolution of Software of the bachelor degree in Software Engineering of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The planning stage of all the three experiences has been completed and two of them are already in progress. Students’ academic performance has not significantly improved. However, they have valued the experiences very positively, which have led to greater participation in class and higher involvement in their learning process overall. Thus, Flipped Classroom may be considered a good active methodology to involve students, promote more practical learning and develop key skills for future software engineers.