Teaching the Finite Element Method with Notebooks and Autograded Exercises

In this study we present the methods applied for the transformation of the lecture "Advanced Finite Element Methods"offered by the Chair of Structural Analysis at the Technical University of Munich to a flipped classroom format. This format uses interactive notebooks to illustrate course content, autograded exercises to reiterate the learnings, a hybrid lecture setup combining both in-person and virtual lectures to allow for a maximum of student flexibility, shared drive folders for distributing material with the course participants, and online computational platforms to avoid the hurdle of software availability and compatibility. To evaluate this lecture format, a survey was sent to the participants. The student performance as well as survey results show that this innovative way of teaching significantly enhances the learning experience and the learning outcome while meeting the participants' expectations.