Learning with technology in physiotherapy education: design, implementation and evaluation of a flipped classroom teaching approach

Abstract

Background The purpose of the study was to describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a flipped classroom teaching approach in physiotherapy education. The flipped classroom is a blended learning approach in which students receive digital lectures as homework, while active learning activities are used in the classroom. Flipped classroom teaching enables a learning environment that aims to develop higher-order cognitive skills. Methods The study design was a historically controlled, prospective, cohort study. An eight week theoretical course on musculoskeletal disorders was redesigned, moving from a conventional approach to a flipped classroom model. Pre-class learning material consisted of about 12 h of video lectures and other digital learning resources that were split up over the duration of the course. In-class activities consisted of seven full-day seminars where students worked in groups in order to solve problem-based assignments. The assignments were designed to reflect authentic clinical problems and required critical thinking and reasoning. Outcomes were measured with course-grades and compared with historical controls of conventional teaching, using descriptive statistics. Self-perceived learning outcomes and students’ experiences were also collected in a survey. Results Fifty-one students passed the course exam, two failed and one did not attend ( n = 54). The share of students with Excellent, Very good and Good (ABC) performances increased by more than 10% relative to any previous year. In addition, Satisfactory, Sufficient and Failed performances (DEF) decreased by more than 10%. Almost two thirds of the students preferred the flipped classroom approach as compared with conventional teaching. Interaction with peers and educators, and flexibility, were the most positive factors that were reported by students. Long seminars, time-constraints and low motivation with respect to preparation and educators’ roles were the most common complaints. Conclusions A flipped classroom approach in physiotherapy education resulted in improved student performances in this professional programme, when compared with conventional teaching. Students responded positively to the collaborative learning environment, especially with respect to the associated autonomy and flexibility. There were indicators that all groups did not work optimally and that accountability to other group members did not always ensure pre-classroom preparations.

Skepticism and learning difficulties in a digital environment at the Bachelor's and Master's levels: are preconceptions valid?

“…This result is in good agreement with the findings of ( Rajaram, 2019 ) and ( Arıf and Omar, 2019 ). A positive assessment by students of cooperation and interaction with peers and the instructor in the blended learning format was also revealed in ( Sukmawati et al., 2020 ) and ( Røe et al., 2019 ). A little less than two thirds of students confirm a higher intensity of training at seminars in a mixed format than in traditional full-time, there are no differences between the clusters.…”

“…Positive perceiving BL-cooperative learning design, students still need more encouragement to be more independent in learning ( Sukmawati et al., 2020 ). Students positively assessed the cooperation and interaction with peers and educators in teaching physiotherapy according to FC-approach, however, not all groups worked optimally, and accountability to other group members did not always provide preparation for the seminars ( Røe et al., 2019 ). According to ( Awidi and Paynter, 2019 ) refinements of the flipped design components, such as the pre-recorded lectures and the structure of the in-class sessions, may further enhance the student learning experience.…”

The link between flipped and active learning: a scoping review

“…Most of the studies that quantified the effectiveness of FL reported higher grades and diminished failure rates in the FL group (e.g. Mooring, Mitchell, and Burrows 2016;Røe et al 2019). Test scores were significantly higher with regard to critical thinking (e.g.…”

University Students Perception of Online Education: Is Engagement Enough?

“…Interaction with peers and educators and flexibility were the most positive factors that were reported by students. Long seminars, time-constraints and low motivation with respect to preparation and educators’ roles were the most common complaints ( 18 ). In the well-studied “flipped classroom” teaching method, learners are provided with didactic material in the form of a prerecorded video lecture that they can watch during their free time prior to the conference.…”