Integrating Alternative Teaching & Learning Methods to Enhance the Standard Power Point Lecture

The traditional PowerPoint lecture format was enhanced by the ‘flipped classroom’ approach in a teaching session involving mathematical equations on a microbiology module in the School of Applied Sciences. A screencast was constructed which contained much of the theory contained in the original lecture. Feedback on student learning gained from the screencast was identified during the experimental teaching session via voting pads. Seven out of nine questions were answered well (over 85% of students giving the correct answer). When answers were largely incorrect, explanations and further background information was given, followed by a repolling, which resulted in a much higher proportion of correct answers (over 80%). The time saved by using a screencast was utilised by including an animation using ‘Videoscribe’, which demonstrated how the equation linked to laboratory procedures, a game which explored one aspect of the equation, and tutorial questions to consolidate learning. On the whole, tutorial questions were answered confidently, indicating that the animation and game were useful in enhancing student learning.