Flipped Classroom in Software Engineering: A Systematic Mapping Study

Context. Software Engineering (SE) teaching is evolving continually, with new methods being developed and evaluated. In this sense, it is important to gain more knowledge of how such methods are actually implemented. Objective. The aim of this study is to systematically examine the literature on the use of the flipped classroom method in SE teaching. Method. To achieve the study objective, we conducted a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) starting with 769 studies. After the filtering process, we extracted data from 26 primaries studies, which meet the study selection criteria. Results. We found papers from 2008 to 2020, most of them published in SE conferences. In fifteen papers, the content is delivered to the students before class, nine of them using a specific system developed to this task. We found that the in-class activities follow three main strategies: (1) project-based learning (38.3%); (2) problem-based learning and self-direct learning (50.0%); and (3) team-based learning (7.7%). Reviewed studies reported challenges in implementing FC in ES course such as overworked and time-constrained professors and difficulty in sustaining student motivation. Also, we found studies reporting improvements in student learning and motivation Conclusion. Based on our findings, we conclude the use of an active method has proved to be useful for in-class practical activities, especially related to the software development field. We also observed that adaptive educational content delivery has not been explored in software engineering studies with flipped classes.