Unlocking Potential: Assessing Motivation, Learning Strategies, and Cognitive Load in Flipped Learning during Online Teaching in Higher Education

Abstract

Flipped learning has become the focus in many educational contexts especially with the integration of technological tools in learning space for the last decade. In flipped learning, learners perform surface learning at home, whereas deep learning such as problem-solving, critical thinking exercises etc. is covered in the classroom which potentially increases motivation and satisfaction of learners. Cognitive load, the assumed load of the working memory caused by the processing of tasks, has also attracted attention in online learning settings which pose different processing demands. This study took place in the extraordinary settings of education during the Covid-19 pandemic which required online education for all education levels. A fourth-year course of an ELT program was delivered through a flipped learning approach during online education. Learners' motivation, use of learning strategies, satisfaction and cognitive load levels were calculated at the end of the intervention and their perceptions regarding the experience were investigated through an open-ended questionnaire. The results showed that their motivation and satisfaction levels were quite high as well as their strategy uses whereas cognitive load levels were comparatively low. Inferential statistics showed that relationships exist between and among the motivation, learning strategies and cognitive load at various levels. Motivation emerged to be a significant predictor of course satisfaction whereas time spent for the flipped lectures predicted course achievement. Learners' perceptions of flipped learning process were generally positive while they also articulated some drawbacks of it like instructional tools-related and individual learner-related problems.