Maintaining Informatics Training Learning Outcomes with a COVID-19 Era Shift to a Fully Online Flipped Course

Journal of Pain Research (12/22) Maness, Heather T.D.; Hakimjavadi, Hesamedin; Chamala, Srikar

Researchers assessed a three-course flipped classroom pathology informatics training program over two semesters as it transitioned to a fully online format during the COVID-19 pandemic. They surveyed the participants to compare the online classroom experience with the physical classroom experience. Thirty-four individuals enrolled in one or more courses during the Spring 2021 semester, exceeding the initial course offerings' enrollment. Most respondents had no prior experience with Unix and had previously taken a fully online course. Satisfaction levels did not differ between formats for two courses, although participants expressed greater overall satisfaction for the new, fully online Python programming course. Participants' self-assessed rating of learning objective achievement for each course in the online format was little changed from ratings by previous students, apart from the Unix course. The researchers determined the fully online course series was at least as effective as the original physical classroom format. "Given that conducting the pathology informatics training program was also logistically easier in the fully online environment and being exclusively online provides flexibility for broader participation across and beyond the institution, we will likely continue to offer the flipped classroom format of the course series using video conferencing for our weekly synchronous meetings," they concluded.

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