Challenges to Engaging Medical Students in a Flipped Classroom Model

The flipped classroom educational model proposes that students will achieve higher order and deeper levels of learning if they work collaboratively during class to apply what they know. However, medical students decline to participate in flipped classroom activities if they perceive that studying alone will be equally efficient in terms of learning. Unfortunately, institutional policies and practices can challenge the ability of medical educators to hold students accountable for attending and engaging in class. As a result, flipped classroom activities must be designed with care, and both the classroom activities and subsequent assessments must challenge students’ higher-order thinking skills.