Apparently there is some research into the effectiveness of flipped classrooms:
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/teaching-activities/flipping-the-classroom/"Mazur and colleagues have published results suggesting that the PI method results in significant learning gains when compared to traditional instruction (2001). In 1998, Richard Hake gathered data on 2084 students in 14 introductory physics courses taught by traditional methods (defined by the instructor as relying primarily on passive student lectures and algorithmic problem exams), allowing him to define an average gain for students in such courses using pre/post-test data. Hake then compared these results to those seen with interactive engagement methods, defined as “heads-on (always) and hands-on (usually) activities which yield immediate feedback through discussion with peers and/or instructors” (Hake p. 65) for 4458 students in 48 courses. He found that students taught with interactive engagement methods exhibited learning gains almost two standard deviations higher than those observed in the traditional courses (0.48 +/- 0.14 vs. 0.23 +/- 0.04)"
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcam...-with-videos-increased-test-scores/40470"The 85 students in the flipped course at San Jose State watched the edX lecture videos at home and attended class twice a week to practice what they had learned and ask questions. Two other sections of students took a traditional version of the course.
The midterm-examination scores of students in the flipped section were higher than those in the traditional sections, said Mr. Ghadiri. Although the midterm questions were more difficult for the flipped students, their median score was 10 to 11 points higher."
http://www.blendmylearning.com/2011/08/31/the-results/"Among the students in the study who had valid scores on the pre and post course assessment, the results were similar for the treatment and the control group. Students in the “control” or traditional summer school course, on average, increased their percentage of correct answers by 5.2% over the five-week period. Students in the “treatment” or Khan class, on average, increased their percentage of correct answers 6.4%
...
Prior to seeing the results of the summer experiment, the teacher predicted that her students would do better on a traditional measure of proficiency such as the California Standards Test or CST if she ran her classroom in the Khan manner versus the traditional classroom approach. Given that she was not a convert prior to this pilot and developed these opinions only through teaching the course, we find this an interesting perspective to consider in the dialogue about how teachers will respond to blended learning."
