Comparison of knowledge acquisition and retention following traditional didactic vs. flipped classroom education utilizing a standardized national curriculum: a randomized controlled trial

Megan M Gray; Rita Dadiz; Susan Izatt; Maria Gillam-Krakauer; Melissa M Carbajal; Lindsay C Johnston; Allison Payne; Margarita M Vasquez; Elizabeth M Bonachea; Heidi Karpen; Alison J Falck; Patricia R Chess; Matthew Huber; Heather French

doi:10.1038/s41372-022-01423-4

Comparison of knowledge acquisition and retention following traditional didactic vs. flipped classroom education utilizing a standardized national curriculum: a randomized controlled trial

J Perinatol. 2022 Nov;42(11):1512-1518. doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01423-4. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, 4800 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 651, Rochester, 14642, Rochester, NY, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, DUMC Box 102509, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 11112 Doctor's Office Tower, 2200 Children's Way, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, 6621 Fannin Street, W6104, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, RBC Suite 3100, Mailstop 6010, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MSC 7812, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, 700 Children's Drive, FB 6th floor Neonatology, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Emory University/Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 2105 Uppergate Drive NE, Rm 324, Atlanta, GA, 30033, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca 8th floor, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
¹² Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 651, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
¹³ Division of Neonatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. frenchh@chop.edu.
¹⁵ The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. frenchh@chop.edu.

PMID: 35660790
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-022-01423-4

Abstract

Objective: Measure the effectiveness of and preference for a standardized, national curriculum utilizing flipped classrooms (FC) in neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellowships.

Study design: Multicentered equivalence, cluster randomized controlled trial of NPM fellowship programs randomized to receive standardized physiology education as in-class lectures (traditional didactic, TD arm) or as pre-class online videos followed by in-class discussions (FC arm). Four multiple-choice question quizzes and three surveys were administered to measure knowledge acquisition, retention, and educational preferences.

Results: 530 fellows from 61 NPM fellowships participated. Quiz performance was comparable between groups at all time points (p = NS, TD vs FC at 4 time points). Post intervention, more fellows in both groups preferred group discussions (pre/post FC 42% vs. 58%, P = 0.002; pre/post TD 43% vs. 60%, P = < 0.001). FC fellows were more likely to rate classroom effectiveness positively (FC/TD, 70% vs. 36%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: FCs promote knowledge acquisition and retention equivalent to TD and FC modalities are preferred by fellows.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Curriculum*
Fellowships and Scholarships*
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Surveys and Questionnaires