Student Perceptions and Effectiveness of Video-Based Flipped Classroom for Improving Medical Physiology Teaching at AUSOM.

Background: Medical education has shifted from traditional teaching methods to interactive learning, emphasizing student engagement and critical thinking for enhanced problem-solving skills. There is a growing shift toward active learning strategies, such as the flipped classroom model, in the current medical education settings.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Physiology course of basic sciences at Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao, using a video-based flipped classroom (VBFC) model. Hundred short instructional videos were created and integrated into 65 Physiology sessions. Pre- and post-implementation surveys assessed students' perceptions and the effectiveness of VBFC. Grade comparison of students was analyzed using paired to evaluate learning outcomes between VBFC and traditional lecture formats.

Results: The VBFC in physiology courses revealed promising results, improving student performance and engagement. Physiology scores, which were significantly lower than the overall course scores before introducing the VBFC approach (p = 0.0216), showed improvement and aligned with the overall scores following its implementation. Students demonstrated a positive attitude toward this method, indicating that video-based pre-class learning was effective. Survey responses consistently reflected agreement with the advantages of this approach. In particular, students expressed strong agreement regarding three key aspects: the appropriate length of each video, the quality and usefulness of the 1 to 5 follow-up questions accompanying each video, and the importance of sustaining this teaching method.

Conclusion: The flipped classroom model supported student engagement and promoted self-directed learning, potentially aiding in the understanding of subjects like physiology. Grounded in Piaget's cognitive development theory, this approach promotes abstract thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Despite limitations such as small sample size and study duration, the results suggest the flipped classroom model can significantly enhance medical students' outcomes in physiology.