The Role of Flipped Learning in Managing the Cognitive Load of a Threshold Concept in Physiology

To help students master challenging, threshold concepts in physiology, I used the flipped learning model in a human anatomy and physiology course with very encouraging results in terms of student motivation, preparedness, engagement, and performance. The flipped learning model was enhanced by pre-tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe journal of effective teaching Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 28 - 43
Main Author Akkaraju, Shylaja
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Journal of Effective Teaching 2016
Subjects
Academic Achievement
Anatomy
Benchmarking
Blended Learning
Cognitive Processes
Community Colleges
Comparative Analysis
Difficulty Level
Formative Evaluation
Fundamental Concepts
High Stakes Tests
Independent Study
Knowledge Level
Learner Engagement
Mastery Learning
Physiology
Problem Solving
Retention (Psychology)
Science Instruction
Scientific Concepts
Student Motivation
Teaching Methods
Time Factors (Learning)
Two Year College Students
New York (New York)
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Summary:To help students master challenging, threshold concepts in physiology, I used the flipped learning model in a human anatomy and physiology course with very encouraging results in terms of student motivation, preparedness, engagement, and performance. The flipped learning model was enhanced by pre-training and formative assessments that provided opportunities for retrieval practice. Students in flipped learning sections had much higher retention and pass rates than those in non-flipped learning sections. Students also achieved preset benchmarks for factual and procedural knowledge while falling slightly short for conceptual knowledge. I found that the flipped learning model effectively addresses the cognitive load involved in learning physiology, which typically has a high cognitive load. By lowering extraneous cognitive load via intentional content, managing intrinsic cognitive load via pre-training and retrieval practice, and increasing germane cognitive load via the extended class time reserved for problem solving, the flipped learning model offers a very supportive learning environment with numerous opportunities for self-regulated learning for students struggling to master this threshold concept. In future semesters, the increased available class time afforded by the flipped learning format will be used to emphasize conceptual understanding in the problem sets.
ISSN:1935-7869