Enhancing Student Centered Active-Learning by "Flipped Classrooms" In a Histology Module

Flipped learning has been the focus of significance and area of interest for medical educationists but accounts of the progression and the assessment of this pedagogical prototype are lacking. The present study describes how a histology module was delivered using the flipped learning approach. This qualitative and quantitative analysis was undertaken among First Professional MBBS students studying human anatomy at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur Rajasthan, India from 2016 to 2019. The participants were subjected to conventional and active learning approach i.e. flipped classroom for the various separate topics of histology with comparable level of difficulty. The students were assessed for subject knowledge by a short assessment which was taken after each session. A feedback from them in reference to use of flipped learning approach in regular teaching-learning and their experience was also obtained. Both the conventional and flipped classroom teaching showed significant changes in knowledge of participants, though mean test score was higher in the flipped learning activity. In the feedback analysis it was noted that majority of the medical students considered incorporation of active learning methods useful for learning histology. Use of active teaching-learning by flipped classroom can assist as a comprehensive tool in regular histology sessions.