Exploring student perceptions and use of face-to-face classes, technology-enhanced active learning, and online resources

The current cohort of undergraduate students is often said to value technology and is assumed to prefer immersive, interactive, and personalized learning experiences. In contrast, many educators recognise the value of face-to-face classes and believe that attending class positively impacts student performance. A novel teaching strategy, including traditional lectures and interactive workshops using an educational technology platform were implemented in an undergraduate neurobiology course. Attendance in class and use of lecture capture recording were associated with improved student performance. Further, student attitudes toward the teaching strategy were evaluated via a survey. The survey respondents included those that regularly attended class and those that did not. Overall, irrespective of attendance, students thought that face-to-face classes were beneficial to their learning and the use of active learning activities helped them to understand the course content. The most common reasons for non-attendance in class were attributed to factors such as the class schedule, work and family commitments and were not related to the availability of class recordings and other online resources. In contrast, the most common reasons for attendance in class included the perceived benefit, the standard of teaching and the level of interest in the course. The novel teaching strategy had a positive impact on student learning, and can be used for in-person, online and asynchronous learning, providing a mechanism for educators to cater for students who wish to attend in-person classes as well as providing options for flexible delivery.