Anatomy, physiology and biochemistry: nursing students’ perceptions of the learning outcome from a flipped classroom

Abstract

Background: Anatomy, physiology and biochemistry APB is a course that nursing students find challenging. The flipped classroom approach, where instruction is based on a student-centred model as opposed to traditional lectures, has previously led to good learning outcomes for this course in the radiography study programme at Oslo Metropolitan University OsloMet). A similar flipped classroom teaching model was therefore trialled in the nursing study programme at OsloMet, Pilestredet Campus, in autumn 2018. Objective:The objective of this study was to examine nursing students' perceptions of the learning outcome from various learning resources and activities, with a focus on the students who were part of a flipped classroom learning model, known as PISA. We also wanted to investigate whether attendance at on-campus sessions and various background factors impacted on the overall perceived learning outcome from a flipped classroom. Method:We examined the students' (n = 232 perceptions of the learning outcome from different learning resources and activities in APB using a quantitative questionnaire, which also included some background questions. We used multiple regression analysis to identify which variables affected the overall perceived learning outcome from a flipped classroom learning model. Results:The students believed that some of the best learning outcomes stemmed from learning activities and resources that entailed the lecturer's presence and social interaction between the students. In relation to the activities and resources in the flipped classroom model, the students considered OsloMet's internal digital resources to give the poorest learning outcome. The overall learning outcome of the flipped classroom learning model was shown to have a significant association with the number of on-campus lessons that students participated in, as well as the students' emphasis on the social aspect of learning with others. Conclusion:Attendance at on-campus sessions seems to be a success factor for the perceived learning outcome from the flipped classroom learning model. Furthermore, students considered teacher-led instructions and lectures to have a major positive effect on their learning outcome. This was also the case for student-centred activities.Traditionally, teaching at higher education institutions has taken the form of study material being presented in lectures 1 . However, students are not passive recipients of knowledge from lecturers who serve as disseminators of information -learning is a subjective process that arises in the interface between the student and lecturer 2 .According to summarised research findings, this approach to learning requires students to work actively with the study material and reflect on their own learning, thereby stimulating a deeper understanding of the subject and in-depth learning 3 .A growing focus on student activity and technological advances have led to a greater emphasis on more dynamic learning models in recent years 1, 4 .According to summarised research findings from quan...