Do active learning techniques promote higher academic performance in an online graduate anatomy course?

Human anatomy is a foundational course in graduate health professional programs. Given the increased enrollment in anatomy courses, along with the development of new technologies, institutions are increasingly compelled to provide alternative course formats, including online learning. Similarly, higher education is increasingly transitioning from traditional lecture-based learning to methods that allow students to actively participate in their own learning process (i.e., active learning). Active learning has been shown to have many benefits, including enhanced academic performance. Few studies have investigated the impact of active learning techniques on students' academic performance in online graduate anatomy courses. This study investigates differences in examination performance following participation in four active learning techniques (jigsaw, team-learning module, concept mapping, and question constructing). Specifically, this study investigated whether academic performance differed between learning objectives assigned to students during an active learning activity compared to non-assigned learning objectives for each unit. One hundred seventy (170) students completed the online anatomy course. Results showed that academic performance generally did not significantly differ between students who participated in active learning (regardless of technique) and a control group. However, students who participated in active learning were found to perform significantly better on examination questions specifically related to the objective they were required to teach compared to the objectives they learned from their peers. The results of this study suggest that the benefits of active learning on academic performance are largely attributable to preparatory processes required for peer teaching, as recipient peer-learners appear to gain minimal benefits from active learning.