The Future of Education
Health Science Student’s Perceptions of an Online Preparatory Short Course for Successful University Transistion
Jacqueline O’Flaherty, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, College of Health, Adelaide University (Australia)
Abstract
This paper examines findings from research into the transition of health science students to university studies. Student responses to an online survey were analyzed to explore their reasons for enrolling in the online preparatory short course and whether these expectations were met post-course. The paper discusses the online short course design which addresses three key indicators for successful transition including the student’s entry level of science, their entry level of academic literacy as well as their level of engagement with specific course resources within the first two weeks of starting their program. The paper also discusses the effectiveness of flipping one of the short course teaching modules and students’ satisfaction with the flipped classroom model. Findings indicate that the course met student expectations with respect to academic preparedness, transition preparedness as well as social and emotional preparedness. Of those health science students who participated in one offering of the course, 92% of students completed their first-year program studies. Of those short course students who were enrolled in first year Nursing and midwifery, 94% achieved a pass for their foundation anatomy and physiology course. Additionally, all nursing and midwifery students who participated in the courses academic writing module successfully passed all written assessments in three of their major first-year compulsory courses. Comparisons of the pre- and post-flipped evaluation of students’ perceptions of their usual learning approaches and preparation for a non-flipped classroom showed a 21% subjective increase in student engagement with pre-class activities in flipped classes compared to their non-flipped classes and a 47% increase in student preparedness for class activities in the flipped class.
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Keywords |
e-learning; flipped teaching; academic literacy; preparedness; student expectations. |
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