Impact of veterinary students' preparation and learning strategies on academic success in a flipped swine medicine course

Abstract

Background: Flipped teaching techniques have been gaining popularity in veterinary curricula. These methods of teaching are shown to increase students' engagement, promote students' self-directed learning, and can even improve their academic success. One barrier to their implementation, however, is the preparation time required by instructors to be ready to participate in active-learning activities in the classroom. Aims and Objectives: This article describes how 3rd-year veterinary students prepare for a flipped classroom and if their learning strategies would influence their academic success. Results: Ninety-five percent (n = 87) of the students enjoyed the flipped course and the resources provided by the instructor. Seventy-five percent of students (n = 69) used the time blocked-off on their calendar to prepare for this course or to study for another one. The most student-used resources were the instructor-developed e-book and short recapitulative videos (98% and 61%, respectively). Students who emphasized critical thinking and effort regulation as their learning strategies were the most successful on their final examination. Conclusion: Flipping the course without adding to student's workload was a challenge and remained a main barrier to implementation.