Enhancing Student Engagement in Introductory Economics with Interactive Videos and Synthesized Readings in Flipped Learning

A major challenge faced by university economics instructors is to find more time to incorporate active learning into the classroom, which encourages student participation. As a result, more instructors choose to flip their classrooms, in which students are encouraged to perform preparatory reading or watch videos to participate more meaningfully and learn more effectively. This study aims to examine how pre-lecture materials enhance student participation by examining the effectiveness of two types of materials: interactive videos and synthesized readings. The synthesized readings contain essential information extracted from the textbook and is presented in a structured manner with highlighted key points. In the round one study, we found that the videos better prepared students for participation. In the round two study, the effectiveness of readings were greatly enhanced when the synthesized readings are revised according to students’ needs. We concluded that readings could be as effective as videos if they were well-designed.