Examining Flipped Teaching in an Anatomy Course at a Community College

Abstract

Flipped teaching (FT) is a student‐centered instructional method, but its effectiveness at community colleges is poorly understood. A study was designed to compare the unflipped (UF; N=41) versus partial (PF; N=62) and full FT (FF; N=29) in an accelerated 8‐week and a regular 16‐week Introduction to Human Anatomy course. For the FT portion, students were expected to independently review the content before class and participate in the discussion and engage in learning activities during class, unlike students in the UF portion. Both UF and PF scores were more significant than the 8‐week FF class (p<0.05). When the FF courses, 8‐week and 16‐week (N=65), were compared, the final exam scores were higher in the 16‐week course (p<0.05). Male students scored less in the 8‐week FF course compared to 8‐week PF (p<0.001) and 16‐week FF (p<0.001). They also scored lower than female students in the 8‐week FF course (p<0.05). When the final exam scores of different modalities were compared between the above‐ and below‐median of each class, FF in an 8‐week course was found to be challenging by both above‐ (p<0.01) and below‐median groups (p<0.05). These results suggest FF is helpful in a regular 16‐week semester compared to the accelerated 8‐week course at the community college where male students, in particular, find it difficult.