Students-identified strategies for improving the flipped classroom experience in pharmacology education in a Nigerian pharmacy school

H. O. Kwanashie. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, NIGERIA.

Background and Aims: As part of our sustained efforts at enhancing pharmacy and medical education with emphasis on resource-poor settings1-3, our recent attempt focussed on students-identified advantages and disadvantages of their flipped classroom experience4 and how this compared with similar experiences elsewhere5,6. This paper reports on strategies suggested by the students for improving flipped classroom as a learning modality in pharmacology.

Summary of work and outcomes: The set-up was a class of 157 students (35% female) in a typical Nigerian pharmacy school and involved 25% of component lectures. By status, the students were either in their right level of study (93 current-class students, CCS) or had spent additional 1-3 semesters (29 spill-over students, SOS). Sub-topics, directives and further guidance on online and offline resources were given to the students a week prior to the 2-hour workshop-style flipped class. Data were thereafter collected via an open-ended questionnaire requesting each student to suggest two strategies they believed might be useful for improving their flipped classroom experience, in addition to one focus-group-discussion (FGD) and two key-informant-interviews (KII). The outcome were 23 distinct strategies suggested by the students which were categorised as: System-centred (80%), Lecturer-centred (41%), Students-centred (40%) and Others (39%). The topmost specific strategies were: Ensuring fuller student participation (41%), Increasing time allocation (33%), Lecturer to serve as presenter-appointer (16%) and Lecturer to play a more active role (10%). The FGD and KII reinforced the questionnaire data; and while no sex-related differences were found, some CCS vs SOS-related differences were observed (though not statistically significant).

Discussion: The study aim was achieved; and going forward, the project will incorporate the topmost strategies in an attempt to fine-tune the flipped classroom as a favoured teaching-learning modality in pharmacology, in Nigeria and elsewhere.

Conclusion: These strategies are generic and should therefore also enhance flipped classroom experience outside of pharmacology education.

References:

1. Kwanashie HO et al (1989). Medical Education 23: 409-412.

2. Kwanashie H and Abdu-Aguye I (1990). Biochemical Education 18: 16-17.

3. Kwanashie HO (2014). Keynote Lecture delivered at the IUPHAR Education Section Satellite Meeting to the 17th IUPHAR Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, on 12th July.

4. Kwanashie HO (2016). Best poster presented at the 41st Improving University Teaching (IUT) Conference, Durham, UK, 13th-15th July.

5. McLaughlin JE et al (2013). American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 77: 196-204.

6. Lage MJ et al (2000). Journal of Economics Education 31: 30-43.