Canadian Geriatrics Society 36th Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts

The flipped classroom is a reversal of conventional teaching models: learners obtain first exposure to material through independent study and then in-class time is dedicated to activities for learners to apply the knowledge. Cards are a novel method of “flipping the classroom” using adaptive multiple-choice questions with patient cases containing randomized demographic data. The purpose of this project was to implement a flipped classroom model on Geriatrics topics to determine if Cards provide an additional benefit to podcasts in learning outcomes for second-year medical students. Three distinct modalities were used: traditional lectures, podcasts, and Cards. All of the material was covered in lectures and podcasts. Half of the material was randomized to be presented in Cards. Recall and comprehension were tested as part of a formative examination. After the exam, students were asked to evaluate each teaching method based on a Likert scale: 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Students performed better on exams when faced with material covered by Cards compared to material covered by only lectures and podcasts (37.8 ± 16.5% correct responses versus 30.3 ± 14.3%; n= 131; p < 0.01). The students viewed Cards as a valuable supplement to lecture material (4.2 ± 0.56; n= 41) that helped add to their knowledge about the topics (4.2 ± 0.61). The majority would want more instructors to incorporate Cards into their teaching (4.2 ± 0.67) and preferred Cards over the traditional lectures (3.8 ± 0.92). Further studies will be required to see if Cards alone can show improved learning outcomes or if the other components of the flipped classroom are needed to supplement Cards. Cards reinforce knowledge acquisition through repetition and are a well-received teaching method. Enhancing the Conference Experience Through Social Media. An Evaluation of Twitter Use at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Geriatrics Society