The implementation of active learning practices in a South African physiology class: a follow-up study

Although there is increased uptake of active learning approaches in especially developed countries, this is still lagging within the African context. The current study therefore focused on the implementation of group learning at Stellenbosch University, with several modifications versus our earlier, pilot study. Students freely formed small groups at the start of a 5-wk cardiovascular physiology lecture series and were apportioned three separate assignments to complete over this period. This included three in-class group-learning sessions, while students also completed group work outside class times. The active learning element was embedded within a constructive alignment framework. Our data revealed that 75% of the students felt that the in-class sessions was a good use of their time and that they progressively improved their assignment scores, i.e., 67.5 ± 9.3%, 72.4 ± 9.8%, and 76.1 ± 9.5% for the first, second, and final ones, respectively (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the average class score for their final test (68 ± 15.1%) was higher when compared with the average class score (57.5 ± 19.4%) calculated for the previous 3 yr (P < 0.0001). This study revealed two major findings: i.e., 1) students displayed a strong positive response regarding the adoption of in-class collaborative group work, and 2) the introduction of such active learning elements correlated with improved student assignment and test scores. Based on these findings, we propose additional modifications (including a shift to more formative assessments) to ensure even greater success with the roll-out of such active learning elements within the African context.