ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION - Volume 12 Issue 4 - How iLEARN Modular Scaffolding Supports Student Outcomes and Accessibility in a First-Year Graphical Communication Course

Oct 15, 2026

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The flipped classroom environment often lacks a reproducible design framework for the day-to-day structure and implementation that allows meaningful comparison across contexts. The iLEARN framework addresses this by organizing and presenting course content to strengthen personal accountability. The study reports instructors’ approaches to adopting iLEARN, using end-of-course student surveys across two semesters, comparing agreement, confidence, and mean outcomes across varying implementation styles. Results show consistent student confidence in learning outcomes despite variation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Flipped Classroom – Research to Practice Gap

Methods

Results

Conclusions

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Ed | ucation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2024: VOLUME 12 ISSUE 4 How iLEARN Modular Scaffolding Supports Student Outcomes and Accessibility in a First-Year Graphical Communication Course SARAH GRIGG College of Engineering Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach, Florida MATTHEW VERLEGER College of Engineering Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach, Florida ABSTRACT Background: The ﬂipped classroom space lacks a clear design framework that describes the day-to-day structure and implementation of a ﬂipped classroom experience in a way that can be reproduced and be meaningfully compared across contexts. The ILEARN framework aims to address part of this problem by more clearly deﬁning how course content is organized and presented to guide student learning through increasing levels of personal accountability. Purpose: The following describes the approaches instructors used in adopting the iLEARN framework into their course sections. Methods: End of course surveys were completed by students across two semesters, the second semester for two instructors with large variability in implementation style. Proportions of ratings in agreement and conﬁdence were compared as well as numerical approximations of means to compare implementation variations using t-tests. Results: Students generally agreed that the iLEARN framework was able to guide them through the learning process while achieving conﬁdence in the course learning outcomes despite varied implementation styles. Conclusions: The iLEARN framework provides a clear, well-organized modular format fora ﬂipped classroom environment, enables a high degree of course ﬂexibility, and is well received by students and instructors. Key Words: Learning management systems, Outcomes based assessment, Active learning 42 2024: VOLUME 12 ISSUE 4 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION How iLEARN Modular Scaffolding Supports Student Outcomes and Accessibility in a First-Year Graphical Communication Course INTRODUCTION A core goal of educators is the facilitation of learning, though many factors influence how effectively students learn and outcomes resulting from the learning experience. Traditional STEM courses often utilize a linear, lockstep, teacher-centered approach to content delivery (Stainset al. 2018, 1468–1470) . In spite of all the evidence (Supiano 2022), historical norms dictate passive instruction that is commonly lecture driven, followed by homework and exams that are to be completed individually and frequently removed from relevant context (Benabentos et al. 2020, 342–56) . This is particularly true in first-and second-year STEM courses, where content tends to be more theory-driven than the design or project-driven approaches that are more common in later courses. This approach reduces the inclusiveness of teaching and is only marginally successful for student motivation (Dewsbury and Brame 2019, no. 2) (Pitterson et al. 2016, 1–6) . With the rapid push to online and hybrid instruction in response to COVID-19, many instructors took their first steps into significant online-supported instruction. Even if their implementation was poorly planned, the initial barrier to entry was removed, opening the door for more engaging and motivational approaches to online-supported instruction. Flipped Classroom – Research to Practice Gap Research shows that ﬂipped classrooms have the potential to yield stronger student outcomes but results vary based on delivery and motivational factors. Self-determination theory and cognitive load theory have been used to explain some factors that impact the effectiveness of the ﬂipped classroom; attributing a sense of competence, sense of relatedness, and sense of autonomy as predictors of motivational factors while self-pacing and tailoring to expertise assist in managing cognitive load (Abeysekera and Dawson 2015, 1–14) . Review

FAQs

What problem does the iLEARN framework target in flipped classrooms?

It addresses the lack of a clear, reproducible design framework for the daily structure and implementation of flipped classroom experiences.

How was the effectiveness of iLEARN evaluated?

End-of-course surveys were collected from students across two semesters, then agreement and confidence proportions were compared along with mean outcome estimates using t-tests.

What do the results indicate about iLEARN’s impact?

Students generally agreed that iLEARN guided them through learning and supported confidence in course learning outcomes even when instructors implemented it differently.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào