Pedagogy as a Nudge? When Student Perceptions Spurn Improved Results

Authors

  • David C. Donald The Chinese University of Hong Kong Author

Keywords:

flipped classroom, innovative teaching, law teaching

Abstract

This article examines four years of assessed results and student satisfaction for a postgraduate course offered in a “flipped” or “inverted” mode during a four-year period in Hong Kong. Although final examination results rose in the first year and remained high, student satisfaction dropped in the first year and remained low. No change in these ratings occurred when adjustments were made in content delivery methods responding to student requests and expert recommendations. The hypothesis tested by the author is whether students’ perceptions of increased workload and other differences between the flipped method and the perceived norm for a law school course outweighed their interest in better performance. If this is true, it may be preferable to “nudge” students into such an arrangement without overtly drawing their attention to the change in teaching method.

Published

2024-04-25