Introducing flipped classroom to undergraduate students in microbiology

AUTHOR(s) : Das Angshurekha, Barua Purnima, Chakravarty Atanu, Borkotoki Uttara
DOI No. : 10.31741/ ijhrmlp.v6.i1.2020.7

ABSTRACT :
Introduction: Didactic lectures are teacher centered and passive method of imparting knowledge with minimum ability to stimulate students to understand and apply concepts. Flipped Classroom (FCR) is also known as "reversed" or "inverted" classroom. It is a type of blended learning that integrates distance learning outside the class and face to face learning in class. FCR is a learner centered model in which class time explores topics in greater depth and creates meaningful learning opportunities. Materials and methods: FCR model was introduced, as a teaching learning method to undergraduate students in teaching Microbiology and feedback was taken from Students and Faculty through validated questionnaires. Results: A total of 84 second year UG students participated in this study. Overall positive responses were received from the students and faculty for Flipped Classroom teaching. On analysis of student’s feedback, students (83.3% n=70) wanted this Flipped classroom technique to taken for future classes. Moreover, 84.5% (n=71) students agreed that Flipped Classroom was useful for studying Microbiology which is otherwise is a difficult subject to retain. Overall 85.7% faculty in our department was keen to introduce FCR for future classes in Microbiology. Conclusion: FCR has been useful in studying Microbiology with prime objectives of motivating undergraduate students and cultivating skills of self learning. The class time can be utilized to develop their applied knowledge and in still critical thinking among the students. In the newly introduced CBME curriculum, the student centric approach can be well justified by Flipped Classroom as a beneficial teaching learning method.

Keywords: Student centric approach; self directed learning; blended learning.

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