The Flipped Classroom: An Innovative Approach to Medical Education in Ophthalmology

The aim of the study is to report the creation of a flipped ophthalmology course and preclinical medical student perceptions and knowledge gains before and after a flipped ophthalmology course.

The form of the study discussed is an observational study.

The subjects involved in the study are second-year (U.S.) United States medical students at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine (n = 401).

Second-year medical students participated in a 1-week "flipped classroom" ophthalmology course geared toward primary care providers at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Eleven hours of traditional classroom lectures were condensed into 4.5 hours of short videos with self-assessment quizzes, small group discussions, and a large group case-based discussion. Fifty-seven short videos (<9 minutes) focused on major ophthalmology topics and common conditions were viewed by the students at their leisure. Students completed a pre- and post-course evaluation on their perceptions and opinions of the flipped classroom approach. Final exam scores in the flipped classroom cohort were compared with the final exam scores in the traditional didactic format used in years prior.

The main outcome measures include: student final exam performance; student satisfaction, opinions, and perceptions.

Over the course of 2 years, 401 second-year U.S. medical students participated in the flipped classroom ophthalmology course. The majority of students enjoyed the flipped classroom experience (75.3%) and expressed interest in using the approach for future lessons (74.6%). The flipped classroom videos were preferred to live lectures (61.2%). Over 90% of students stated the self-assessment quizzes were useful, 79% reported that the small group discussions were an effective way to apply knowledge, and 76% cited the large group case-based discussion as useful. Pre-course knowledge assessment scores averaged 48%. Final examination scores in the flipped group (average ± standard deviation [SD] = 92.1% ± 6.1) were comparable to that of the traditional group when evaluating identical questions (average ± SD = 91.7% ± 5.54), p = 0.34.

The flipped classroom approach proved to be a well-received and successful approach to preclinical medical education for ophthalmology. This was achieved using 35% less course time than our traditional course. This innovative approach has potential for expansion to other medical schools, medical education abroad, and for other medical school modules.