Evaluating the effectiveness of a MOOC-based flipped classroom approach in occupational health and occupational medicine education
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: The "New Medical Science" initiative in China calls for the integration of digital technologies into medical education. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a blended learning approach, incorporating the Chinese University Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform and a flipped classroom model, compared to traditional lecture-based teaching in a compulsory "Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine" course. METHODS: A comparative study was conducted among preventive medicine undergraduates at Nanchang University, in China. The 2016 cohort (n = 84) participated in the MOOC-based flipped classroom (intervention group), while the 2017 cohort (n = 97) received traditional lecture-based teaching (control group). The primary outcome was the final examination score. A comprehensive analysis, including test paper quality (difficulty, discrimination, reliability, validity), normality of score distributions, and between-group comparisons (t-test, multiple linear regression and chi-square test), were performed to ensure a rigorous comparison. RESULTS: The final examination papers for both groups were of comparable quality, with appropriate difficulty and good discriminative power. Score distributions for both groups were normal. Students in the MOOC-based flipped classroom group achieved a significantly higher mean exam score (68.95 ± 8.75) than those in the traditional lecture-based teaching group (64.29 ± 12.48), a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.005). The finding remained robust after adjusting for baseline covariates (adjusted mean difference = 3.48 points, 95% confidence interval: 0.44 to 6.53, P = 0.025). Furthermore, the pass rate (≥ 60) was significantly higher in the intervention group (85.71% vs. 72.16%, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: The MOOC-based flipped classroom approach was associated with better academic performance and higher pass rates compared to traditional teaching in the course of "Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine". This model represents a promising strategy associated with enhanced medical education quality and supporting the goals of the "New Medical Science" reform.
Source: BMC Medical Education
Authors: Haofeng Ding, Huanhong Ji, Dalei Zhang, Huai Wang
Institution: Nanchang University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
OpenAlex ID: W7196995832