Approaches to improve student academic success in a mixed year 1 anatomy and physiology subject

In a first-year allied health subject (anatomy and physiology) academic results have varied over the last 3 years (2012–2014), with approximately 20% of students failing to pass the year. The cohort is mixed, with students studying physiotherapy, occupational therapy and sport and exercise science all attending the same lecture/practical schedule. However, the requirements for each discipline vary and there is a large variation in the academic preparedness of students in each discipline to study these subjects (i.e., passing year 12 biology). In 2015, blended learning study materials (digital content) for human anatomy were made available, to allow students(n 5 279) to control the time, place and pace of their learning in this area of study. This resulted in a significant increase in students passing the human anatomy exam, when compared to2014 data. In a parallel study, human physiology content was presented in a “flipped classroom” format. This resulted in increased student performance in on-course assessment. However, no significant difference in exam performance was recorded from 2014. This study highlights the need to provide highly scaffolded, supported and interactive learning content for mixed year 1 cohorts in order to improve student performance.