The team’s results were published in the May issue of the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.
An active classroom is defined as flipping the learning process, in which instructional time is allocated to understanding and mastery of concepts instead of the dissemination of facts found in a traditional classroom.
The study, which was conducted at the Marshall University School of Pharmacy, randomly assigned students to the lecture-model classroom or a flipped classroom for a six-week course in which instructors, content, assessments and instructional time were equivalent.
“For the past two decades, higher education reformists have been advocating for significant change,” said Kevin W. Yingling, R.Ph.,M.D., founding dean of the school of pharmacy and senior author of the study. “Our findings show the student mean score in an active classroom was higher than those in a traditional, lecture-type setting. The scores were assessed at six-week and six-month intervals.”
Kim Broedel-Zaugg, Ph.D., one of the paper’s authors and professor and chair of the department of pharmacy practice, administration and research, said while not specifically addressed in the study, another advantage of the flipped classroom is group learning.
“The flipped classroom is designed for team-based learning activities so students share their ideas and learn together as a group, “ Brodel-Zaugg said. “When one individual has trouble with a concept, often the group can help the student grasp the idea.”
Yingling said while further study is needed to determine if the effect is maintained over time, Marshall’s findings are important.
“There has been growing evidence from prospective, randomized and concurrent studies comparing the flipped classroom and the traditional classroom, “Yingling said. “Our study certainly contributes to the overall body of knowledge in this regard.”
In addition to Yingling and Broedel-Zaugg, the team of researchers at Marshall University included H. Glenn Anderson Jr., Pharm.D.; Lisa Frazier, Pharm.D.; Stephanie L. Anderson, Pharm.D.; Robert Stanton, Pharm.D.; and Chris Gillette, Ph.D.
The Marshall University School of Pharmacy opened in 2012 and graduated its inaugural class in 2016.