Learn by Doing: A Flipped Classroom approach to teaching exercise testing and prescription

The purpose of this paper is to describe a case-study based flipped classroom approach for teaching exercise testing and prescription. The goal of this approach is to provide students with supervised “real world” experience while also exposing students to diverse populations (e.g. health, age, culture, employment, ability). Students will complete a client interview, conduct a complete fitness assessment included a graded exercise test, and develop an individualized exercise prescription. The flipped classroom is intended to be incorporated into an in-person advanced level course, ideally less than 20 students per section. Completion of an introductory level exercise testing and prescription course is a pre-requisite for this approach. The first five weeks should be designated for didactic lectures and instructional laboratories of foundational principles before implementing the flipped classroom for the remainder of the term. Flipped classrooms can be more engaging and a more positive learning experience than traditional teaching styles. This case-study based flipped classroom may result in higher student self-efficacy, increased sense of belonging, and improved job-related competency.