1 Introduction
teacher, students take self-conducted learning activities
from previewing curricular contents before the class to
completing group discussions during the class. By taking
its advantages, we presented earlier an ePUB3 eBook-
based flipped learning model [6] that used ePUB3 eBooks
[7],[8] as the media to deliver curricular contents before
and during the class. However, after practical teaching of
this
model, we noticed that students’ discussions in the class
was not so effective as we expected, e.g., only a few
students referenced eBooks for their interactions and had
ideas about converging interactions to make conclusions.
Therefore, an important issue about the use of this model
was recognized, that is how it could be improved to
enhance the effects of students’ discussions.
In the literature, there are already many ways to
provide effective conducts on students’ discussions to
enhance their interactions about the thinking and analyzing
of the discussion subjects. For instances, Inquiry Learning
In general, there are 2 modes in its inquired discussion
guidance, i.e., problem- and project-based ones to address
respective problematic and productive subjects. In
education, it has been well known as an effective way to
conduct students’ discussions for improving their reading,
writing, and thinking abilities. Similarly, Quality Talk
[12],[13]
a
lso provides students with conducted discussions
but stresses more interactive collaborations to improve
their thinking and reasoning abilities. Its effects in
education have also been recognized as an efficient way to
support students’ discussions with four characteristics:
self-interpretation and leadership, motivating and
sustaining interactions, thinking and analyzing contents, as
well as disciplined and harmonious dialogues.
Considering the benefits of the above two methods, a
Problem-based Inquired Quality Talk method was
presented
[14,][15]
that conveyed the sound features of
these two methods to provide students with an effective
discussion mechanism. That is, it conducts students’
discussions with a series of problem-based inquiry steps to
explore the solutions of concerned problematic subjects
where quality talk questions/responses are executed in
each of the inquiry steps. Then, we employed this method
in our earlier ePUB3 eBook-based flipped learning model
to form an ePUB3 eBook-based problem-inquired quality
talk flipped learning model [15] to enhance the effects of
students’ discussions. The validity of such an extended
model had been verified by applying it to the practical
teaching of our ‘Reading & Writing’ flipped class.
In this paper, to enhance further the effects of students’
discussions, we explore the use of a more practical
Project-based Inquired Quality Talk method in students’
discussions to form a new ePUB3 eBook-based project-
inquired quality talk flipped learning model. As a result,
the model provides students in their group discussions
with the project-based inquiry steps to find the solutions of
a designated project where quality talk questions/
responses are executed in each of these inquiry steps.
Afterwards, the new model is illustratively applied to our
‘Reading & Writing’ flipped class at a university in
Taiwan where a comparative study on students’ reading &
writing abilities in experimental and controlled groups is
taken to validate its usefulness.
Using ePUB3 eBook-based Project-Inquired Quality Talk to Enhance
Students’ Learning Effects in Flipped Classes
1TINA PINGTING TSAI, 2JYHJONG LIN
1Center for General Education, National Taipei University of Education, TAIWAN
2Department of Information Management, Ming Chuan University, TAIWAN
Abstract: In flipped learning, students take learning activities based on their preferred ways to promote their
learning interests and effects. For its advantages, we presented earlier an ePUB3 eBook-based problem-inquired
quality talk flipped learning model that supports students’ learning by ePUB3 eBooks and Problem-solving
Inquired Quality Talk discussions. In this paper, to enhance further the students’ discussion effects, we explore
the employment of a more practical Project-based Inquired Quality Talk method in students’ discussions to
form a new ePUB3- based project-inquired quality talk flipped learning model. As a result, the new model
provides students in their discussions with project-based inquiry steps to find the solutions of a designated
project where quality talk questions/responses are executed in each inquiry step. For illustration, the model is
applied to a ‘Reading & Writing’ class at a university in Taiwan where a comparative study on students’ reading
& writing abilities in experimental and controlled groups is taken to validate its usefulness.
Keywords: ePUB3 eBook, eBook-based flipped learning, project-based inquired quality talk, reading & writing
ability, comparative study.
Received: May 13, 2021. Revised: June 27, 2022. Accepted: July 23, 2022. Published: September 14, 2022.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
67
Volume 13, 2022
In flipped learning [1],[2],[3], [4],[5], students complete
learning using their preferred ways to increase their
interests and effects. Under guidance and help from the
[9],[10],[11] supports effective discussions by following
a series of inquiry steps where specific guidance is
provided for exploring the solutions of the discussion
subjects.
In this section, we present the related work about our
ePUB3 eBook-based project-inquired quality talk flipped
learning model.
2.1 The ePUB3 eBook-based Flipped Learning Model
As presented in [6], the ePUB3 eBook-based flipped
learning model uses ePUB3 eBooks [7],[8] as the media
in a flipped learning class to deliver the curricular
contents
before and during the class. In general, ePUB3 eBooks
provide many features for delivering curricular contents in
various spectacular ways to motivate students’ attention on
these contents. For instances, as shown in [16], many
accessible modalities or functions can be embedded in the
textual pages of the eBooks such as reference link, guided
reading, automatic repetition, video, communication, and
exercise. Therefore, in the ePUB3 eBook-based model,
students can use ePUB3 eBooks in their flipped class to
effectively support pre-class learning activities such as
previewing curricular contents and taking exercises and
also in-class learning activities such as viewing curricular
contents and making group discussions.
2.2 The Problem-based Inquired Quality Talk
As shown in [15], the ePUB3 eBook-based problem-
inquired quality talk flipped learning model employs the
spectacular features of the Problem-based Inquired Quality
Talk method [14] in ePUB3 eBook-based flipped learning
to guide students’ interactions for their group discussions.
Therefore, students’ discussions are supported by the
Problem-based Inquired Quality Talk mechanism as below.
1. Before discussions, students develop their thinking
and reasoning experience about a concerned problem
through practicing a series of quality talk questions/
responses. Therefore, in their practices, students are
first grouped and given a less complicated problem
relevant to the comprehension and application of
curricular contents and then start their exercises on a
series of questions/responses in each of the following
problem-based inquiry steps: (1) identify critical issues
about this problem, (2) collect information and extract
knowledge about these issues, (3) find solutions of
these issues, and (4) make conclusions about this
problem in terms of these critical issues’ solutions. In
particular, based on Quality Talk [17], seven types of
questions need to be exercised: (1) authentic one AQ -
ask for thinking and reasoning about concerned
subjects, (2) uptake one UQ - ask about something that
was said earlier, (3) speculation one SQ - ask for
considering alternatives, (4) high-level thinking one
HLQ - ask for new ideas or information, (5) affective
one AfQ - eliciting connections between experiences
and concerned subjects, (6) connection one CQ -
eliciting connections to something that is common to
all group members, and (7) test one TQ - presupposing
answers of concerned subjects. In contrast, three types
of responses for responding these questions need to be
exercised: (1) elaborated explanation EE - giving
evidenced claims, (2) exploratory talk ET - giving
reasoned challenges, and (3) cumulative talk CT -
giving positive supports on what was said earlier.
2. After practices for developing thinking and reasoning
experience, a more complicated problem is given for
students to think and reason out solutions. As one may
conceive, such a problem means usually more needed
endeavors for finding adequate solutions to address its
problematic issues. Therefore, students need to apply
their practiced inquiry steps to figure out solutions.
3. Then, students start their group discussions about the
solutions of this problem. As in their practice, they
take a series of quality talk questions/responses in their
problem-based inquiry steps to make conclusions
about this problem in terms of its critical issues’
solutions. Therefore, after identifying the critical
issues about this problem, students start to collect
related information about these issues from various
media such as referenced materials (e.g., class eBooks
or internet sources), social media (e.g., online or
virtual societies), and subject experts (e.g., relevant
faculty or staff members). Then, they extract useful
knowledge from the collected information to develop
their thinking and reasoning about the solutions of
these issues. Finally, after sufficient group discussions,
the solutions for these issues can be identified and
converged to ensure their solving the problem.
4. Finally, after making conclusions about the problem in
terms of its critical issues’ solutions, students share
their conclusions with the peers of other class groups.
This can help them to enhance further their thinking
and reasoning about the problem solutions by
soliciting the values and advantages of the conclusions
from other groups.
2.3 The Project-based Inquired Quality Talk
As mentioned above, there are two modes in Inquiry
Learning, problem- and project-based inquiries, to address
respective problematic and productive subjects. Therefore,
as a more practical one than Problem-based, Project-based
Inquired Quality Talk provides students in their group
discussions with project-based inquiry steps to find the
solutions of a designated project where quality talk
questions/responses are executed in each of these inquiry
steps. Thus, students’ discussions are supported by its
project-based mechanism as follows.
1. Before discussions, students develop their experience
in thinking and reasoning about a productive project.
Therefore, they are first given a less complicated
project relevant to the comprehension and application
of curricular contents and then start to exercise a series
of questions/responses in each of the project-based
inquiry steps: (1) identify necessary constructs for
completing this project, (2) collect information and
extract knowledge about these constructs, (3) design
and implement these constructs, and (4) make
conclusions about the solutions of this project in terms
of these constructs. It is noted that as in the problem-
based mode, a series of questions/responses are also
exercised in the inquiry steps based on Quality Talk
with seven types of questions for students to practice
and three types of responses for students to respond
these questions.
2 Related Work
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
68
Volume 13, 2022
2. After practices, a more complicated project is given for
students to think and reason out necessary constructs.
As in the problem-based mode, such a project means
usually more endeavors needed for finding adequate
constructs to address its productive issues. Therefore,
students need to apply their practiced inquiry steps to
figure out adequate constructs and implementations.
3. Then, students start their group discussions about the
constructs for completing this project. Also as in their
practices, they have a series of quality talk questions/
responses in the project-based inquiry steps to make
conclusions about the solutions of this project in terms
of these constructs. Therefore, after identifying the
necessary constructs for this project, students collect
related information and extract useful knowledge
about these constructs, design and implement these
constructs, and finally identify and converge the
conclusions for completing this project in terms of
these constructs.
4. Finally, as in the problem-based mode, after making
conclusions about the project, students share their
conclusions with the peers of other class groups. This
can help them to enhance further their thinking and
reasoning about the project solutions by referencing
other groups’ artifacts.
3 The ePUB3 eBook-based Project-
Inquired Quality Talk
With the above project-based mechanism, our ePUB3
eBook-based project-inquired quality talk flipped learning
model can be formed that supports the following learning
activities in a flipped class:
1. Preview curricular contents in ePUB3 eBooks as shown
in Figure 1 by all students before the class. This is to
develop students’ basic concepts about these contents
for helping them to find the solutions of a designated
project by applying their learnt from these contents
through well-conducted group discussions in this class.
2. Take a pre-class test by all students at the beginning of
this class. This is to verify students’ concepts about the
reading and writing of the curricular contents through
their preview before the class.
3. Make group discussions by all students during the class.
In general, these are made by each group using a series
of quality talk questions/responses in each of the
project-based inquiry steps. More specifically, after the
teacher explains the meaning and usage of the quality
talk questions/responses, students develop their
experiences about these questions/responses for a less
complicated project by a serial practice of interactive
moves between these questions/responses in each
project-based inquiry step. Then, given a formal
productive project, they start discussions by identifying
the necessary constructs for this project. Afterwards,
with sufficient interactions of questions and responses
in each project-based inquiry step, they can gather
consensus about the design and implementation of
these constructs and then the project conclusion in
terms of these constructs.
4. Share discussion conclusions by all students during the
class. In general, this is taken by each group to help
students enhance further their critical thinking and
reasoning about the given project’s solutions through
capturing the pros and cons of other peers’ constructs
and implementations. As one may conceive, while
students’ sharing their conclusions, the teacher can
give comments or suggestions about the conclusions or
even the sharing itself. This can help students to take
more assessments or reflections about their discussions
and conclusions in this class.
5. Take a post-class test by all students at the end of this
class. This is to verify students’ learning effects from
the above class activities.
4 Practical Application of The Model
In this section, our model is applied to a ‘Reading &
Writing’ class at a university in Taiwan. In general, this
class focuses on enhancing the reading and writing
abilities of students and hence addresses their reading the
curricular contents in an ePUB3 eBook and then figuring
out the solutions of an applied writing project through the
project-based inquiry steps. For verifying the validity of
the model, the learning effects between experimental and
controlled groups are compared with a comparative study.
4.1 Class Design
In the class, two groups of students are instructed
separately where the experimental group applies the new
ePUB3 eBook-based project-inquired quality talk flipped
learning model, and the controlled group instead uses the
earlier ePUB3 eBook-based flipped learning model.
Therefore, these two groups in general use the same
flipped learning model except for applying the Project-
based Inquired Quality Talk in the experimental group.
Table 1 shows the learning activities in a class of
3-week instructions by these two groups. Therefore, as
shown in the experimental group, students’ discussions at
each week start from a 15-min lecture by the teacher for
explaining the quality talk questions/responses. Then, they
take 15-min to develop their experiences about these
questions/responses by practicing a series of interactive
moves in each of the project-based inquiry steps.
Afterwards, given a formal productive project, they make
discussions in the practiced project-based inquiry steps: (1)
using 5 minutes to identify the necessary constructs for this
project, (2) making 20-min discussions to complete the
project in terms of these constructs through a series of
interactive moves between the quality talk questions and
responses, and (3) taking 5 minutes to gather consensus
about the design and implementation of these constructs
and then the project conclusion in terms of these constructs.
In addition, it is noted that both of the two groups use
the same ePUB3 eBooks to deliver the curricular contents
for students’ reading at each week: ‘Wait for The Name of
A Flower’, ‘Medicine’, and ‘The Last Sahara’ respectively.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
69
Volume 13, 2022
Figure 1: The ePUB3 eBook for delivering curricular contents
Figure 1 presents part of the ePUB3 eBook used at the 3rd
week that introduces a novel entitled ‘The Last Sahara’ by
a well-known Taiwanese writer K.S. Liu, and Figure 2
shows the YouTube film [18] played via the video link on
page 6 that delivers the realistic scenery of the Chinchuan
tribe in Hsinchu county introduced in the eBook. Further,
it is also noticed that for verifying the validity of the new
model, both of the two groups use also the same questions
in their pre-class and post-class tests to verify their
learning effects from the different activities in discussions.
4.2 Data Collected from the 3-Week Instructions
According to the academic schedule of a university in
Taiwan, the class of 3-week instructions was held at the
Spring semester in 2020 where the experimental group had
34 students starting their class from 3/13/2020, and the
controlled group had 26 students startig their class from
3/11/2020.
As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, students in the
experimental groups previewed the ePUB3 eBook
before each-week instruction and made discussions in the
instruction through a series of quality talk questions and
responses in each of the project-based inquiry steps. The
following illustrates the designated project and part of the
students’ discussions about its solutions at the 3rd week
instruction from a group of students S1 – S4 in the
experimental group (note that these are the translated
English version for illustration from their original
Chinese contents):
1. The teacher designated first an applied writing project
for students to solve as follows.
After reading the descriptions in ‘The Last
Sahara’ about the author’s imagining wandering
around the Sahara desert under his experience of
natural ecology, please write down a 300-word
novel that depicts a few-seen scene and the
feelings it brings us using the 5-sense descriptions
and comparative narratives that I emphasized in
the class.
2. The group of students S1 – S4 started then their
discussions from identifying necessary constructs for
the project as follows.
(1) S3: Yes, as told by the teacher, what we should
do first is to identify the necessary constructs for
this project. (AQ question)
(2) S4: Sure, it is! I also think this is quite trivial by
screening its words like "5-sense descriptions",
"comparative narrative", "few-seen scene", and
"the feelings it brings us". (TQ question)
(3) S2: I agree! These constructs are obviously
critical for us to address. (EE response) However,
they should be discussed in some kind of order
such as deciding first which "few-seen scene" is
good for us to depict, clarifying then what
"5-sense descriptions" & "comparative narrative"
are the best to describe the scene, and identifying
finally what “the feelings it brings us" are for us
to address. (TQ question)
(4) S3: Well, not really! I think this order seems not
good. It is better to clarify "the feelings it brings
us" before "5-sense descriptions" & "comparative
narrative". (ET response)
(5) S1: Yes, I think also so because "the feelings it
brings us" should be clarified earlier such that we
can identify then what "5-sense descriptions" and
"comparative narrative" are the best to describe
our feelings. (CT response)
3. Therefore, after discussions, the constructs identified
by these students for solving the project are (1) which
"few-seen scene" is good to depict, (2) what “the
feelings it brings us" are for us to address, and (3) what
"5-sense descriptions" and "comparative narrative" are
the best to describe the scene and our feelings.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
70
Volume 13, 2022
Table 1: learning activities in a class of 3-week instructions by experimental and controlled groups
Activities
Experimental group
Preview the curricular contents in
ePUB3 eBooks by all students from 7
days before the class of 3-week
instructions
Yes
Take a 5-min pre-class test by all
students at the beginning of the first
week instruction
Yes
Make 60-min group discussions
through the project-based inquiry steps
by all groups of students during the first
week instruction for completing an
applied writing project designated by
the teacher
Project-based inquired quality
talk
Give 15-min explanations by the
teacher about the quality talk
questions/responses
Take 15-min practices of a series
of interactive moves by each
group of students to develop
experience about these
questions/responses
Make 5-min discussions of a
series of interactive moves by
each group of students to identify
necessary constructs for the
designated project
Make 20-min discussions of a
series of interactive moves by
each group of students to
complete the project in terms of
these constructs
Take 5-min by each group of
students to conclude the
solutions of the project in terms
of these constructs
Take 15-min by all groups of students
during the first week instruction to
share their discussion conclusions with
each other
Yes
r
e
p
e
a
t
Preview the curricular contents in
ePUB3 eBooks by all students from
7 days before each of the remaining
2-week instructions
Yes
Make 60-min group discussions
through the project-based inquiry
steps by all groups of students
during each of the remaining
2-week instructions for completing
an applied writing project
designated by the teacher
Project-based inquired quality
talk
Take 15-min by all groups of
students during each of the
remaining 2-week instructions to
share their discussion conclusions
with each other
Yes
Take a 7-day post-class test by all
students after the end of the last (3rd)
week instruction
Yes
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
71
Volume 13, 2022
Figure 2: The YouTube film played via the video link on page 6 of the eBook
4. After identifying the three constructs, these students
continued their discussions for implementing these
constructs. The following are their interactions for
implementing the first construct - which "few-seen
scene" is good to depict:
(1) S3: Okay, let us think about the first construct -
which "few-seen scene" is good to depict. (AQ
question) I think the term "few-seen scene" may
mean some sites or events we do not experience
often in usual days. Therefore, we need to
consider first what the theme of such a scene is.
As we know, the novel we read in the eBook
describes a travel of the author to the Chinchuan
tribe at a rural area in Hsinchu county. The author
has many descriptions about the scenery of such a
rural area, so I think a rural area canbe considered
as our "few-seen scene". In addition, I guess we
all must have experience in rural areas, but most
of us living in Taipei or nearby must not go there
often in usual days. (TQ question)
(2) S4: Yes, there are many rural areas around the
suburb of Taipei, but we all do not go there often
in usual days. Their scenery is of course quite
different from Taipei such as few people, fresh
air, and leisure atmosphere. Thus, I advocate also
using a rural area around the suburb of Taipei as
our "few-seen scene". (ET response)
(3) S1: Great! I agree also and believe everyone does
too! (CT response)
(4) S2: Yes, as you said, I do as well. (CT response)
5. Then, after discussions in the time limit, the group of
students S1 – S4 gathered their consensus about the
implementations of the three constructs and then
concluded their solutions for the project in terms of
these constructs. The following are their words about
the project - depicts a few-seen scene and the feelings
it brings us using the 5-sense descriptions and
comparative narratives that I emphasized in the class:
While in the New Year festival, I often go with my
family back to my hometown at Pingxi in New
Taipei city. Each time, when approaching its
entrance, I always have a happy mood of returning
to a quiet and peaceful rural township. Yes, it is a
rural area and has many attractive scenes that let
me be able to enjoy the leisure time during the
festival holidays. In this area, I can not only take a
"look at” its nearby rice fields, orchards, and
windbreak forests, but also walk around its farm
trails to "sniff" the flowers along roadsides, "touch"
the fruits on trees, and "listen to" the sounds by
birds. All of these make me feel so easy and relaxed.
Further, I also like to "see" many neighbors’ taking
care of their rice fields and orchards, chatting
happily after working, and sharing crops with each
other. These also give me many warmest living
hours. Therefore, with these scenes and feelings, I
can refresh from my busy time in usual days by
enjoying the "simple and leisure" life in my
hometown. I thus should say that in addition to the
"tensed and boring" urban area in Taipei that we
live and work in usual days, we should go into rural
areas as often as we can to enjoy a "simple and
leisure" life time through their wonderful rurality.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
72
Volume 13, 2022
Table 2: The t-test between experimental and controlled groups
Test
N
Mean
S.D.
T-Value
P-Value
Pre-class test
Experimental group
Controlled group
34
26
88.5
86.5
8.8
13.3
0.66
0.496
Post-class test
Experimental group
Controlled group
34
26
88.7
84.8
6.27
6.42
2.54
0.023
6. Finally, with discussion conclusions, these students
S1 – S4 shared their conclusions with other groups of
students. This could help them to enhance their critical
thinking and reasoning about the project by capturing
the pros and cons of other groups’ solutions. In
addition, the teacher also gave some comments to
motivate their further reflections on discussions and
conclusions.
4.3 Validity Verification of The Model
After the practical teaching of the 3-week class
instructions, the scores of the pre-class test and post-class
test from the experimental and controlled groups were
respectively collected. In particular, the pre-class test at
the beginning of the first week instruction had
multiple-choice questions about the basic concepts of the
curricular contents. In our knowledge, this could identify
students’ concepts about the reading and writing of the
curricular contents before the 3-week instructions. Further,
the post-class test after the end of the last week instruction
was a more comprehensive project for students to write
down individually a 1500-word novel using the 5-sense
descriptions and comparative narratives learned from the
class. As one may conceive, this could verify the learning
effects of students’ reading and writing abilities from the
3-week instructions.
Then, for verifying the learning effects of these two
groups, we first calculated the means and standard
deviations of their tests’ scores. Then, based on such
means and standard deviations, we conducted an
independent t-test between these two groups. The results
of the t-test were shown in Table 2. Thus, as the mean
scores of these two groups indicated, these two groups had
almost the same mean scores of their pre-class tests (86.5
and 88.5, respectively). Further, as the results of the t-test
for their pre-class tests indicated, these two groups had no
significant difference between their students’ concepts
about the reading and writing of the curricular contents
(t-value is 0.66 and p-value is 0.496 > 0.05). Therefore,
based on these two indications, we ensured that students in
these two groups were similar in their concepts about the
reading and writing of the curricular contents before the
3-week instructions.
In contrast, as the mean scores of their post-class tests
indicated, the experimental group had a higher mean score
than the controlled group did (84.8 and 88.7, respectively).
Further, as the results of the t-test for their post-class tests
indicated, these two groups had a significant difference
between their students’ reading and writing abilities
(t-value is 2.54 and p-value is 0.023 < 0.05). Therefore,
based on these two indications, we ensured that students in
the experimental group had better learning effects about
their reading and writing abilities after the 3-week
instructions. As one may conceive, such better learning
effects can thus verify the validity of the project-based
inquired quality talk flipped learning model in enhancing
students’ reading and writing abilities by more active
interactions in discussions.
5 Conclusion
In this paper, we address an important issue about the
use of a flipped learning model: how it can be applied more
actively to enhance the effects of students’ class
discussions. This is valuable to explore because in our
knowledge students’ learning effects in flipped classes can
be enhanced by having more effective discussions through
active interactions about the comprehension and
application of curricular contents.
For this, we explore the adoption of a more practical
Project-based Inquired Quality Talk mechaism in our
earlier ePUB3 eBook-based flipped learning model to
form a new ePUB3 eBook-based project-inquired quality
talk flipped learning model. Therefore, the resultant new
model supports the following learning activities in a
flipped class: (1) students preview the curricular contents
in eBooks before the class, (2) students take a pre-class test
at the beginning of this class to identify their concepts
about the reading and writing of the curricular contents, (3)
the teacher gives necessary explanations about the quality
talk questions/responses, (4) students develop their
experience about these questions/responses by practicing a
series of interactive moves in each of the project-based
inquiry steps, (5) the teacher designates a formal
productive project for students to solve, (6) students make
discussions in the project-based inquiry steps from (6.1)
identifying the necessary constructs for this project, (6.2)
collecting related information and extracting useful
knowledge to find the implementations of these constructs,
(6.3) gathering consensus about the implementations of
these constructs and then the conclusion about the
solutions of the project in terms of these constructs, (7)
students share their discussion conclusions with each other
to enhance further their thinking and reasoning about the
project through capturing the pros and cons of other peers’
solutions, and (8) students take a post-class test after the
end of this class to verify their learning effects.
This new model is then applied to an academic
‘Reading & Writing’ class at a university in Taiwan for
verifying its validity. Afterwards, the application is
verified by a comparative study between experimental and
controlled groups where the experimental group applies
the new model, and the controlled group instead uses the
earlier ePUB3 eBook-based flipped learning model. After
the practical teaching of 3-week class instructions, the
scores of the pre-class test and post-class test from both of
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
73
Volume 13, 2022
the two groups are respectively collected for conducting
an independent t-test. As the results of the t-test present,
students in the experimental group have better learning
effects about their reading and writing abilities after the
3-week instructions. As expected, such better learning
effects thus verify the validity of the new ePUB3
eBook-based project-inquired quality talk flipped learning
model in enhancing students’ reading and writing abilities
by more active interactions in discussions.
In the future, we will also try to apply our new model
to other kinds of flipped classes. Since the model is applied
herein only to a ‘Reading & Writing’ class that stresses
both of the comprehensive reading of curricular contents
as well as the productive writing of concerned subjects, its
validity in more kinds of academic classes such as those
focusing on the design of innovative products or services
for various tracks or fields is thus valuable to explore for
ensuring its usefulness in enhancing the effects of
students’ discussions on the solutions of these classes’
productive projects.
References
[1] Bergmann, J. and Sams, A., Flip Your Classroom:
Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day,
Internal Society for Technology in Education, 2012.
[2] Hwang, G., Chen, M., Sung, H. and Lin M., Effects of
Integrating A Concept Mapping-based Summarization
Strategy into Flipped Learning on Students' Reading
Performances and Perceptions in Chinese Courses,
British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 50,
No. 5, 2019, pp. 2703-2719.
[3] Lee, J. and Choi, H., Rethinking the Flipped Learning
Pre-class: Its Influence on the Success of Flipped
Learning and Related Factors, British Journal of
Education Technology, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2019, pp. 934-
945.
[4] Lin, C., Hwang, G., Fu, Q. and Chen, J., A Flipped
Contextual Game-based Learning Approach to
Enhancing EFL Students’ English Business Writing
Performance and Reflective Behaviors, Educational
Technology & Society, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2018, pp. 117-
131.
[5] Zainuddin, Z., Students' Learning Performance and
Perceived Motivation in Gamified Flipped-Class
Instruction, Computers & Education, Vol. 126, 2018,
pp. 75-88.
[6] Tsai, P., Hsu, C. and Lin, J., An Application of ePUB3
eBooks to the Design and Teaching of Flipped
‘Applied Writing’ Courses: An Example of ‘Abstract
Writing’, Journal of Educational Media & Library
Sciences, Vol. 56, No. 1, 2019, pp. 69-105.
[7] Lin, L., Tina, P., Lin, J. and Li, J., Some Useful
ePUB3-based Contents Delivery Functions, 5th
International Conference on Information and
Education Technology, Tokyo, Japan, January 2017,
pp. 49-52.
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12] Murphy, P. K., Greene, J. A., Firetto, C. M.,
Hendrick, B., Li, M., Montalbano, C., & Wei, L.,
Quality Talk: Developing students’ discourse to
promote high-level comprehension. American
Educational Research Journal, Vol. 55, 2018, pp.
1113–1160.
[13] Wilkinson, I. A. G., Soter, A. O., and Murphy, P.
K., Developing a model of Quality Talk about literary
text, in M. G. McKeown and L. Kucan (Eds.),
Bringing Reading Research to Life, NY: Guilford
Press, 2010, pp. 142–169.
[14] Tina, P., Lin, J., Chen, C. and Yen, J., Using
Inquiry-based Quality Talks to Enhance the
Effectiveness of ePUB3-based Flipped Classes, 8th
International Conference on Information and
Education Technology, Okayama, Japan, March 2020,
pp. 6-11.
[15] Tsai, P., Hsu, C. and Lin, J., An Application of
Inquiry-Based Quality Talk to the Flipped
Design and Teaching of ‘Reading & Writing’
Courses. Journal of Educational Media &
Library Sciences, Vol. 57, No. 2, 2020, pp.
263-286.
[16] Tsai, P., Lin, J. and Lin, C., A Flip Blended Learning
Approach for ePUB3 eBook-based Course Design and
Implementation, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education, Vol. 14, No. 1,
2018, pp. 123-144.
[17] Hsu, H., Chen, H. and Lin, W., Quality Discussion
and High-Level Comprehension: An Analysis
of Taiwanese College Students. Journal of
Educational and Media & Library Sciences, Vol. 56,
No. 1, 2019, pp. 107-130.
[18] Story of the Chinchuan Tribe, PTS, Taiwan,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CiEta1tgfUE&t=874s, March 2020.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ELECTRONICS
DOI: 10.37394/232017.2022.13.8
Tina Pingting Tsai, Jyhjong Lin
E-ISSN: 2415-1513
74
Volume 13, 2022
[8] ePUB3 Overview, https://www.w3.org/publishing/
epub3/epub-overview.html, March 2022.
[9] Abd-El-Khalick, F., BouJaoude, F., Duschl, R.,
Lederman, N., Mamlok‐Naaman, R., Hofstein, A.,
Niaz, M., Treagust, D. and Tuan, H., Inquiry in
Science Education: International Perspectives, Science
Education, Vol. 88, No. 3, 2004, pp. 397-419.
[10] Bell, T., Urhahne, D., Schanze, S and Ploetzner,
R., Collaborative Inquiry Learning: Models, Tools,
and Challenges, International Journal of
Science Education, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2010, pp. 349–377.
[11] Chisholm, J. and Godley, A., Learning about
Language through Inquiry-based Discussion, Journal
of Literacy Research, Vol. 43, No. 4, 2011, pp.
430-468.
Conflicts of Interest
The author(s) declare no potential conflicts of
interest concerning the research, authorship, or
publication of this article.
Contribution of individual authors to the
creation of a scientific article (ghostwriting
policy)
The author(s) contributed in the present
research, at all stages from the formulation of
the problem to the final findings
and solution.
Sources of funding for research
presented in a scientific article or scientific
article itself
No funding was received for conducting this
study.
C
reative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(A
ttribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)
This article is published under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US