The cognitive load of the in-class phase of a flipped classroom course on radiology: Could computer support be of help?

Abstract

In medical education, the use of flipped classrooms is on the increase. The complex, interdependent active- and social learning activities often built into the ‘in-class’ phase of this new approach may, however, cause cognitive overload, impeding learning. Computer-supported collaborative learning could play a role in reducing such cognitive load. The current study investigated how four constituent factors of ‘in-class’ scenarios for ‘flipped’ classrooms affect the intrinsic, germane and extraneous cognitive load for students. After participating in a computer-supported ‘in-class’ scenario for a radiology training course that combined face-to-face individual activities, small-group work and class-wide activities, undergraduate medical students (n = 135) completed a questionnaire rating the cognitive load perceived. Computer support comprised a program for radiology assessment and a learning dashboard that captured and visualized the assessment results. Total intrinsic load, germane load, and extraneous load (EL) were calculated from the results obtained. The ‘high’ intrinsic load, ‘high’ germane load, and ‘low’ EL indicate that the computer-supported ‘in-class’ scenario was cognitively challenging but that sufficient mental effort could be spent on task performance and learning. We attribute the successful management of the cognitive load imposed by this complex in-class scenario to the specially designed learning dashboard.