In a concentration in which students sometimes skip class to watch online lecture videos at their leisure, the flipped classroom model may offer a way to boost attendance—an issue that has become even more pressing as SEAS prepares to move even further away from the center of campus.

Currently, attendance in many computer science classes ranges from one-half to two-thirds, according to various professors who are teaching lecture-based courses this semester. Computer science professor David C. Parkes, who teaches CS 186: “Economics and Computation” and records lecture videos, wrote in an email that around 30 of the enrolled 43 students show up on a given day.

“I think that we, as faculty, should be organizing lectures in a way that, for most students, it would be a mistake not to attend class,” Parkes wrote. “We can do this by making lectures interactive, and by encouraging reading in advance of class.”

But Seltzer estimated that attendance in CS 161 is around 75 percent—higher than previous years—which she directly attributes to the implementation of the flipped classroom model.

“People have done fine in 161 skipping lectures,…but this year, the attendance has been great,” Seltzer said.

Although decisions have not yet been made about where SEAS courses will be held following the Allston move, computer science professor John G. Morrisett, who teaches Computer Science 51: “Introduction to Computer Science II”, said that he expects large courses like CS 50 and CS 51 to remain in Cambridge.

Although moving the class across the river may take a toll on class attendance, Morrisett said that if the new buildings in Allston were outfitted with classroom space that promotes working in small groups, students might actually be more excited to go to class.

“One of the things I would love to do for [CS] 51...is think about flipping the classroom, at least part of the time, and do more hands-on programming in the time that we have together,” Morrisett said. “I think some of the new space that we’re talking about in Allston could enable that.”

Morrisett added that the decision of where to hold classes will be a process of continual experimentation.

“I think we’ll have to play around with it and see, will students come, or will they not?” Morrisett said.

GROWING PAINS

Despite the flipped classroom model’s successful implementation in two CS courses and interest in expanding its use in the classroom, instructors said there are still challenges in designing a course around the new format.

Lewis said that while the flipped classroom method integrates well with the content of CS 20, it might be less successful in other situations.

“I don’t think this style lends itself so well to a course where you’ve got to develop a complicated argument that requires a lot of explanation and synthesis on the part of the instructor,” Lewis said.

In addition, senior lecturer on mathematics Paul G. Bamberg ’63, who is currently teaching CS 20 while Lewis is on sabbatical, said it takes extra effort for an instructor to prerecord lessons and come up with sample problems for each class.