Open AccessFlipped teaching eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
Author(s) -
Beth BeasonAbmayr,
David R. Caprette,
C. Gopalan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advances in physiology education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1522-1229
pISSN - 1043-4046
DOI - 10.1152/advan.00248.2020
Subject(s) - covid-19 , flipped classroom , zoom , face to face , class (philosophy) , mathematics education , pandemic , online teaching , transition (genetics) , teaching method , computer science , online learning , psychology , medical education , multimedia , medicine , chemistry , engineering , artificial intelligence , philosophy , biochemistry , disease , epistemology , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , petroleum engineering , gene , lens (geology)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice University canceled classes for the week of March 9–13, 2020 and shifted all instruction to online only following spring break. For the second half of the semester, animal physiology was taught exclusively over Zoom. Here we describe how a flipped teaching format that was used before the pandemic eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction. The preclass preparation resources and the active learning materials that were already in place for flipped teaching were helpful in the transition to solely online teaching. Therefore, the focus during the transition was to reconfigure active learning and examinations from the face-to-face format to the online platform. Instead of small group discussions in the classroom, teams interacted in Zoom Breakout Rooms. Rather than taking exams in-person during scheduled class time, students submitted exams online. Additionally, students prerecorded their project presentations instead of presenting them “live” during the last week of classes. Overall, students felt that the class smoothly transitioned to a remote only format. These and other changes to the instructional methods will be implemented during the Spring 2021 semester when the course is taught fully online.