Perception of MBBS students to "flipped class room" approach in neuroanatomy module

Abstract

A flipped classroom is a learner centered approach in which the learner is responsible to attend the class with basic understanding of the subject to fully participate and engage in discussions. The aim of this study was to evaluate students' perception of flipped classroom approach for neuroanatomy module and assess the impact on their performance and attitudes. The subject chosen to evaluate the flipped classroom model for first year medical students was clinical neuroanatomy. One hundred and thirty first year medical students participated in the study module. Students were divided into five groups and five case scenarios pertaining to various clinically relevant regions of the neuraxis, with varying anatomical complexity were generated. The pre- and post-tests were designed to specifically test the declared learning objectives of the session. The perception of the students regarding this model of teaching and learning was also evaluated. Eighty-six percent of students felt that the flipped classroom approach was better at fulfilling the stated learning objectives than the conventional didactic teaching, 92% felt that the work-sheet with questions provided prior to the class enabled a better understanding of the subject and 87% were of the opinion that the web sources with references kindled a greater interest to read as compared with didactic lectures. The paired t test showed highly significant differences between the pre and post-test scores. Student response to the flipped classroom structure was largely positive, indicating it to be an approach worth pursuing in future years.

Advances in medical education and practice: student perceptions of the flipped classroom

“…Preclinical application of FC elements was concentrated on the basic sciences (Table 2), such as biochemistry11,12 and the anatomical sciences 13–15. The incorporation of FC pedagogy in medical anatomy classes has been suggested to be driven, at least in part, by markedly reduced curricular time afforded to the teaching of the subject 15.…”

“…14,19,25,27 Other resources frequently provided to medical students included audio-based resources (eg, podcasts),15,30,35 e-learning tools,13,24,32 and educational games 31,33. Finally, text-based resources (eg, e-books and research articles) were typically provided as supplemental (ie, additional reading) preparatory resources 12,13,17,26,34. In a case where multiple resources were provided for pre-class preparation, students reported accessing video-based resources more frequently than other tools 17.…”

“…The most common modalities used to promote student engagement and active learning in the classroom component were clinical case-based small group activities,13,17,22,26–29,31 which in many cases could be considered to be modified versions of conventional case-based learning (CBL; Tables 2 and 3). Other validated active learning methods that were modified and applied in FC face-to-face sessions included problem-based learning (PBL)25,34 and team-based learning (TBL) 15,18,31,35.…”

Comparison of student performance and perceptions of a traditional lecture course versus an inverted classroom format for clinical microbiology

“…Currently, many programs use some mix of online and traditional lecture techniques, alternatively termed ''blended learning'' or ''hybrid learning,'' in a flipped classroom. 1,2 The term ''flipped classroom'' often may be applied to primary and secondary education, whereas the term ''inverted classroom'' is best applied to higher education. 3 The inverted classroom model (ICM) is a blended learning model that requires the student to acquire knowledge through self-directed learning online, and then attend face-to-face lecture (F2F) that compels the student to apply the knowledge.…”

“…2,6,7 A flipped neuroanatomy course was described in a chiropractic college setting with no difference in performance or student satisfaction. 8 The authors concluded that ICM may not be the appropriate mode of delivery in courses that are concerned with intensive amounts of content.…”