Utilization of the Flipped Classroom in Anesthesiology Graduate Medical Education: An Initial Survey of Faculty Beliefs and Practices About Active Learning

Abstract

Background: Flipped classroom (FC) is an active learning (AL) technique thought to have potential benefits in anesthesiology resident education. This survey aimed to determine the frequency of FC utilization, barriers of utilization, and means to overcome these barriers.

Method: A web-based questionnaire was developed to survey anesthesiology faculty on their knowledge of and experience with FC. The Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine sent the survey to all United States core program directors (PD) via their list serve with a request for the PDs to forward the survey invitation to their clinical faculty. Descriptive statistics were summarized.

Results: A total of 244 anesthesiology faculty completed the survey. Reported faculty understanding of AL and FC were 57%. Of these faculty, 87% utilized AL and 57% utilized FC in their personal teaching practice during the past year (spring 2015-spring 2016). The most prevalent barriers to utilization of FC were faculty concern that learners would not come to class prepared or participate in class, faculty comfort with delivering traditional lectures, lack of faculty knowledge of necessary technological tools, and faculty concern about perceived increase in time needed to create a FC session. Eighty-nine percent of all faculty desired education on FC with preference for institutional workshops or grand rounds.

Conclusions: Our survey found a discrepancy between faculty knowledge of FC and usage of this method in anesthesiology resident teaching. More educational resources are warranted to address barriers and familiarize faculty with FC applications in anesthesiology resident education.

Keywords: anesthesiology; flipped classroom; graduate medical education; survey.

Figure 1.

Percentage of participants who had knowledge of the specific active learning method (N = 244).

Figure 2.

Box plot of Wilcoxon scores for knowledge of flipped classroom classified by region. Y-axis (Score) indicates the Wilcoxon rank score for knowledge of flipped classroom. The symbol marker indicates mean, with a mean rank score of 91.43 for West, 101.13 for Northeast, 109.29 for Midwest, and 147.32 for South. The line inside box indicates median. The upper and lower edges of box indicate third quartile and first quartile, respectively. The endpoints of upper and lower whiskers indicate maximum and minimum.

Figure 3.

Perception of barriers to using flipped classroom in anesthesiology resident education (n = 139).

Figure 4.

Preferred forums of flipped classroom faculty education (N = 244).

Figure 5.

The active learning techniques perceived compatible with participant teaching styles (N = 244).