Insights from an Umbrella Review of Flipped Learning in Higher Education  

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v26i4.8301

Keywords:

Flipped Learning, higher education, umbrella review, systematic review

Abstract

There is a noticeable growth in the number of systematic reviews published in open, distance, and digital education (ODDE), with a growing focus on flipped teaching and learning, particularly in higher education, emphasizing the need to consolidate evidence and findings under one comprehensive review. This umbrella review aims to thoroughly understand the current state of flipped learning in higher education and pinpoint research gaps, analyzing 23 systematic reviews published between 2018 and 2022 from three international databases: Web of Science, Education Source, and Scopus. It delves into publication and authorship patterns while synthesizing key insights. The thematic scope of the reviews reveals that many were focused on the effectiveness of flipped learning and teaching interventions, as well as learning design. The review explored theories guiding practice and research, instructional design considerations, and the application of flipped classrooms in various fields of study. It also examined the reported challenges of the flipped classroom model. As there are a scarcity of theoretical frameworks and a lack of detailed information on the pedagogical challenges of this model, recommendations are presented to enhance research and practice of flipped teaching and learning. The results of this umbrella review provide valuable insights to guide research in future and improve the quality of systematic reviews in the field of ODDE in general and flipped teaching and learning in particular.

Author Biographies

Hebatullah ElGamal, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany

Hebatullah El Gamal is a researcher in open, distance, and digital education (ODDE), focusing on flipped teaching and learning. She is a Center For Open Education Research member at the University of Oldenburg in Germany, a lecturer at the German University in Cairo, and a consultant to multiple international organizations. Her PhD-related publications are available on research gate. 

Olaf Zawacki-Richter, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany

Olaf Zawacki-Richter is a professor of educational technology at the University of Oldenburg in Germany. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences and Director of the Center for Open Education Research (COER). Olaf has over 25 years of professional experience in the field of open, distance, and digital education. He has also served as a consultant and advisor, including work for the United Nations' International Labor Organization, the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, and the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat).

Dr. Zawacki-Richter has authored over 150 journal articles and edited several books, including "Online Distance Education – Towards a Research Agenda", "Systematic Reviews in Educational Research", "Open and Distance Education in Australia, Europe, and the Americas: National Perspectives in a Digital Age"(Vol. 1), and "Open and Distance Education in Asia, Africa and the Middle East: National Perspectives in a Digital Age" (Vol. 2) – all published open access. He is an Associate Editor of the "Online Learning Journal" (OLJ) and a member of the editorial board of the "International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning" (IRRODL), "Open Learning", the "Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education" (Turkey), and the “The Journal for Higher Education Development” (Austria). In 2022, Olaf published, together with Professor Insung Jung, the open-access Handbook of Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE) in Springer's Major Reference Series. He is also the Chief Editor of the Journal of  Open, distance, and Digital Education (JODDE).

 

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Published

2025-11-21

How to Cite

ElGamal, H., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2025). Insights from an Umbrella Review of Flipped Learning in Higher Education  . The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 26(4), 141–171. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v26i4.8301

Issue

Section

Literature Reviews