Background: In fall 2020, all orientation activities at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto were moved online, including the library orientation for new pharmacy students in a bridging program. Additionally, live time for the librarian to teach the students was reduced, requiring a solution to maintain the same learning objectives in the new timeframe. A flipped classroom model is a method of delivering instructional content using asynchronous pre-work combined with a live synchronous session. The purpose of this program was to move a traditional in-person orientation session online using a flipped classroom model.
Description: Students were required to complete 30 minutes of pre-work before attending a 1-hour live session. The pre-work materials were designed using Articulate Rise 360. Students were required to move through self-paced lessons on preparing for a search, including completing an activity which was submitted. Students were encouraged to complete the pre-work and activity, but no grades were assigned as incentive. The pre-work was followed by the live synchronous workshop which focused on hands on demonstrations and activities. Effectiveness of the orientation was evaluated using a qualitative student feedback form and by reviewing the quality of the pre-work submissions.
Conclusion: Students expressed positive views on the flipped classroom format in the feedback forms. The pre-work module specifically was shown to be effective, based on the number of students who submitted the optional pre-work assignment and the high quality of the submissions. A flipped classroom model may be a viable option for other librarians as they develop and deliver their orientation sessions in an online environment.