Flipping the Classroom to Teach Undergraduate Physiology during the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted all sectors of society including higher education. Students report a desire to resume in‐person learning but safety and flexibility are paramount to achieve this instructional modality. Flipping the classroom is a teaching approach that promotes independent learning outside of class with activity‐based exercises within the classroom. Benefits of a flipped classroom include increased student engagement, course flexibility, and enhanced learning. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the utility of flipping the classroom on learning physiology during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study utilized undergraduate Human Physiology students (n = 124) during the fall 2020 semester. Course content was provided as asynchronous online lectures with 3 – 5 new videos released weekly. Students independently viewed the lectures outside of class and completed a synchronous weekly online quiz before a weekly in‐person lecture recitation with masks and social distancing. Lecture recitations (50 min) were designed to review, reinforce and practice lecture material—they were generally structured as follows: 1) review most difficult concepts from recent lectures; 2) answer questions collected via collaborative online document; 3) complete/discuss practice questions via iClicker; and 4) complete/discuss mini‐case studies or real‐world scenarios. Sessions were recorded for asynchronous viewing. To supplement lecture, students also completed 3 traditional wet labs and 3 virtual labs (ADInstruments). At the conclusion of the semester, students were offered extra credit (<1% course total) to complete a survey regarding their experience with the flipped classroom environment and perceived barriers to academic success. Student demographics: 71% were female, 52% were nursing majors and 50% were sophomores. Students felt that the flipped classroom design fit well into their schedules (87%) and they learned a lot of material (85%) that was applicable to their lives (90%) and future careers (94%). Students agreed that their questions were answered during lecture recitation (66%), the sessions helped them understand difficult material (70%), and they benefited from the in‐person practice (71%). The majority (68%) stated that lecture recitations improved their physiology education. Despite these positive responses, 60% of students still reported that the COVID‐19 pandemic had negatively impacted their physiology education. Top barriers to educational success included increased stress (77%), working more (52%), lack of motivation (45%), increased family obligations (44%), and feeling overwhelmed (39%). In addition, 20% of students reported contracting COVID‐19 and 42% had to self‐isolate due to exposure. These data demonstrate the benefits of a flipped classroom model to teach undergraduate physiology. This research also highlights the increased challenges that students face as they attempt to continue their education during the COVID‐19 pandemic.