Application of the flipped classroom based on micro-class in animal surgery teaching: An case study of debridement course

Objective To investigate the application of the flipped classroom based on micro-class versus traditional class in animal surgery teaching, and to provide new thinkings for animal surgery teaching. Methods A total of 120 undergraduates from Navy Medical University were randomly divided into control group (class A) and experimental group (class B). The students in class A received traditional teaching, and those in class B received flipped classroom teaching. Questionnaire survey and course assessment were performed after teaching, and a comparative analysis was also performed. Results The self-assessment survey showed that 88.3%, 73.3%, 71.6%, 48.3%, and 73.3% of the students in class A (traditional teaching) filled in the questionnaire with "Very Helpful and Helpful", while 91.7%, 85.0%, 83.3%, 78.3%, and 75.0% of the students in class B (flipped classroom teaching) filled in with "Very Helpful and Helpful"; class B gave better overall evaluation of teaching model than that of class A. The mean total score of class B was 0.91, higher than that of class A (8.43 vs. 7.52, P<0.05), and the mean total score of examination papers in class B was 10.92, higher than that in class A (101.13 vs. 90.21, P<0.05). Conclusion Flipped classroom based on micro-class could improve the teaching effect of debridement course on animal surgery and increase students' self-learning ability. Key words: Micro-class; Flipped classroom; Animal surgery; Debridement