To be or not to be: the importance of attendance in integrated physiology teaching using non-traditional approaches

Beatriz Gal,Ignacio Busturia,Concepción Garrido

doi:10.1186/1756-0500-4-360

Beatriz Gal, Ignacio Busturia + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-4-360

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Abstract

BackgroundThere is increasing use of non-traditional methods like problem-based learning, team-working and several other active-learning techniques in Physiology teaching. While several studies have investigated the impact of class attendance on the academic performance in traditional teaching, there is limited information regarding whether the new modalities are especially sensible to this factor.MethodsHere, we performed a comparative study between a control group receiving information through traditional methods and an experimental group submitted to new methodologies in Physiology teaching.ResultsWe found that while mean examination scores were similar in the control and the experimental groups, a different picture emerge when data are organized according to four categorical attendance levels. In the experimental group, scores were not different between the 1st and the 2nd exams (P = 0.429) nor between the 2nd and the 3rd exams (P = 0.225) for students that never or poorly attend classes, in contrast to the control group (P < 0.001). A score difference between attending students versus the absentees was maximal in the experimental versus the control group all along the different exams and in the final score.ConclusionWe suggest that class attendance is critical for learning using non-traditional methods.

Highlights

There is increasing use of non-traditional methods like problem-based learning, team-working and several other active-learning techniques in Physiology teaching
We found no difference between the final examination scores from both groups (Table 1, ANOVA, p = 0.510), neither for the partial exam scores with the only exception of the 2nd partial exam score which was different between groups at p = 0.034
We looked at the effect of class attendance by reorganizing data according to four categories: never, poor, mean and frequent

Summary

Introduction

There is increasing use of non-traditional methods like problem-based learning, team-working and several other active-learning techniques in Physiology teaching. Physiology teaching constitutes an essential part of medical and other health science training programmes. This matter is currently experiencing important reforms in most European countries regarding its curriculum design in order to meet the Bologna Declaration [1,2]. The Bologna process aims to create an European Higher Education Area by 2010 in order to make studies compatible and comparable amongst countries and to increase competitiveness and quality. Such calls for reforms are mirrored worldwide towards active learning approaches aimed to more actively involve students in the learning process [3].

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