Exploring the responses of preclinical medical students and professors to flipped learning for the development of clinical reasoning

Abstract

Purpose This study developed and implemented case-based flipped learning using illness script worksheets and investigated the responses of preclinical students and professors to the intervention in terms of its effectiveness, design, and implementation. Methods The study was conducted at a medical school in Korea, where the “clinical reasoning method” course, originally a lecture-oriented course, was redesigned into a flipped learning. In total, 42 second-year medical students and 15 professors participated in this course. After the class, online surveys were conducted, and a focus group interview was held with seven students to explore the students’ experiences in more detail. Results In total, 37 students and seven professors participated in the survey. The mean score for all items is 3.12/4 for the student survey and 3.43/4 for the professor survey. The focus group interview results were categorized as the beneficial aspects and challenges for the development of clinical reasoning. Conclusion The findings indicated that their responses to the intervention were generally positive, and it is thought to be an effective instructional method for fostering clinical reasoning skills in preclinical medical students.

Keywords

• clinical reasoning
• flipped learning
• illness script worksheet
• cognitive load theory
• preclinical medical students