Flipping e-Learning for Teaching Medical Terminology: A Study of Learners’ Online Experiences and Perceptions

Abstract

Since e-Learning has become popular in recent years, research studies have been conducted about which instructional methods are the most effective in online learning environments. The purpose of this study is to apply the flipped classroom model to a Medical Terminology Course that was provided fully online as part of a Medical Documentation and Secretarial associate degree program in a vocational college, and to analyze learners’ experiences associated with this application. Based on this method, as asynchronous activities, learners were required to study interactive multimedia content and applications. For synchronous activities, mainly learner-centered approaches, collaborative learning, problem solving and discussion, led the learning process. In the context of this study, learners’ usage of the system, submissions to the study process questionnaire, and academic achievement were collected as quantitative data; whereas, learners’ opinions towards the flipped classroom model were obtained as qualitative data. Hence, the study was designed as a mixed methods research. According to the results, it was found that learners’ academic achievement significantly related to their perceptions of deep learning and their time spent on learning activities. Moreover, learners indicated problematic aspects to the flipped classroom as time expectancies, insufficiency of instructional materials, and lack of advice received from the instructor.

Keywords

• medical terminology
• flipped classroom
• deep learning
• learning process
• online learning