Student Perspectives on Active Learning Activities in a Human Anatomy and Physiology Course

Abstract

An inverted (flipped) teaching model is a blended‐learning pedagogical approach that focuses on learner‐centered instruction. Active learning strategies that facilitate collaboration‐based discussion and small group work that ask students to engage in higher order thinking are paramount to the learner‐centric classes. Evidence that supports the effectiveness of a learner‐centered approach on student learning is well established, and a growing body of research has shown this approach to have a positive impact on student engagement, motivation, and retention. Thus, learner‐centered instruction using a blended‐learning model has gradually become a fundamental part of higher education. Yet, only recently has this approach become a more widely used pedagogy strategy in pre‐health professions and STEM classrooms. Few studies have reported on how students feel about the use of active learning activities as it relates to their learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gather student perspectives on active learning techniques used in an inverted classroom. Undergraduate students (n=88) enrolled in an undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology II course taught by one instructor during three separate semesters were asked to evaluate their perception on how various activities impacted their understanding of concepts and helped them to learn. Analysis of the reflection data revealed that 73.86% (n=65) felt strongly that the activities enhanced their learning, while 13.64% (n=12) and 15.9% (n=14) felt that the activities either enhanced their learning slightly or not at all. The results indicate that significantly more students had a positive perspective on how collaboration‐based discussion and small group activities improved their learning (p< 0.000344). Thus, these results support the use of active learning strategies as a way to help increase student learning.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.