Investigating the impact of a flipped programming course using the DT-CDIO approach

AbstractAbstractCurrently, flipped learning requires a framework that will give novices and students the ability to face the complex problems encountered in programming courses. It is necessary to design a design thinking learning framework that addresses independent learning and specific processes that will improve students' 21st-century skills. The existing literature has not implemented flipped programming courses from a design thinking perspective (Cook & Bush, 2018), which would thus be an innovative approach to designing teaching methods and investigating the effects of this framework. The purpose of this study was to develop analyze, observe, reflect, conceive, design, implement, and operate (Crawley et al., 2007) a DT-CDIO model and to investigate the relationship of the flow experience to computational thinking and cognitive load in order to understand the impact of the flow experience on a flipped programming course. The participants in this study comprised 40 pre-service education students (Male = 17; Female = 23). The partial least squares (PLS) method was used for the data analysis to test the model. This study was intended to obtain and evaluate significant differences between the students' flow experience and their computational thinking ability and cognitive load. The results indicated that the DT-CDIO pedagogy filled a long-standing gap related to a lack of reflective pedagogy and design thinking problems. The flow experience negatively impacted creativity and problem solving ability. Meanwhile, intrinsic cognitive load negatively impacted the flow experience. Germane cognitive load positively impacted the flow experience. In particular, the flow experience is a crucial factor that can be used to predict various computational thinking skills in a programming curriculum. More importantly, this study provides important insights into the implications of the DT-CDIO approach and other related factors.Highlights •This study develops a DT-CDIO method for a flipped programming course.•The flow experience is determined based on computational thinking ability and cognitive load.•The relationship between the flow experience and both cognitive load and computational thinking skills is investigated.•The flow experience is found to have a negative impact on creativity and problem solving.•Teachers can apply specific teaching methods that will improve computational thinking skills.