Using Flipped Classrooms to Develop Critical Thinking Skills among Medical Students

Dear Editor, The purpose of this letter is to highlight the role of flipped classrooms in the development of critical thinking skills among medical students. A flipped classroom is an effective mode of teaching–learning in the delivery of medical education, which facilitates the learning process by reversing the conventional learning structure.[1] In other words, the passive aspect of learning is shifted to outside the classroom, while during classroom hours, the entire focus is on active learning.[2] In the field of medical practice, critical thinking refers to the ability of medical students or healthcare professionals to systematically evaluate the available information and propose an evidence-driven decision.[3] This critical thinking skill essentially includes analysis and evaluation of the given situation, interpretation of the available reports, and problem-solving, which in turn empowers them to approach the given situation from varied angles.[3] Further, these skills help healthcare professionals deal with complex clinical scenarios, encourage curiosity, and support lifelong learning.[3,4] A range of activities can be planned by the teachers during class time to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills among medical students.[3,4] However, the success and effectiveness of these sessions will depend on a wide range of measures, such as the selection of that kind of preclass learning resource material (learning resources must appeal to students with different learning styles), which can challenge and motivate medical students to think critically.[5,6] The teachers can plan a wide range of activities (such as interactive quizzes, discussion prompts, case studies, and simulated scenarios) when designing preclass learning content. In addition, these classroom activities must mimic real-world clinical scenarios, enabling students to relate to them and accordingly understand practical relevance.[4,5] Realizing the need to appeal to students with varied learning preferences, it is a must that teachers create a safe and collaborative learning environment for the students, so that they can freely participate in classroom activities without the fear of being targeted for their mistakes.[5] It is vital to supplement classroom activities with some kind of formative assessment (case-based discussion, simulated patients, and prescription writing) to gain insights into the ability of students to apply their knowledge.[5] In addition, students must be provided with constructive and timely feedback about their performance to refine their critical thinking skills.[5] It is essential that teachers obtain feedback from students regarding the learning resources shared and the activities planned during flipped classrooms. In fact, based on the inputs received from medical students, the teaching–learning activities must be modified to help them attain the desired competencies.[3-5] The Department of Community Medicine, Datta Meghe Medical College, Nagpur, the Off-Campus of Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Deemed-to-be University, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, has periodically employed flipped classrooms as one of the teaching-learning methodologies to encourage the development of critical thinking skills among undergraduate medical students. In conclusion, flipped classrooms in the delivery of medical education are expected to promote student engagement, foster deep understanding, and promote personalized and deep learning. Acknowledging the scope of flipped classrooms in developing critical thinking skills, it is the need of the hour to plan and implement student-engaging activities both before and during the class timings. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.