Many studies on flipped classroom suggest positive effects from watching massive open online course (MOOC) videos before class; however, little research exists discussing the relationship between video content, classroom activities, and learning outcomes. This study investigates the process of how MOOC video knowledge is applied in a flipped classroom for higher order learning. We conducted questionnaire surveys and interviews with first and second year students taking an intensive course, “Visualizing Tokyo,” taught along with the edX course, “Visualizing Postwar Tokyo.” The results showed that the students gained a historical and geopolitical awareness of Tokyo through viewing the lecture video during pre-learning. The findings of the influence of online pre-learning on collaborative face-to-face learning can be summarized into three points as follows: a) By watching the lecture video in advance, the attitudes toward the content were formed, and being aware of new aspects and having doubts about the urban city were facilitated, b) Reviewing the lecture video in the theoretical section helped deepen the understanding of the content, as well as allowed focus on video production skills, and c) In creating visual narratives in the practical section, although direct references to the lecture video were few, those reflected focused on places, different cultures, and people’s lifestyles, as well as on the structures of changes, minor aspects, and stories about location and people.