Kura cloud facilitates the transition to a flipped classroom, an experience in Colombia
Authors: Mantilla‐Rivas Jose Oscar , Giraldo‐Villa Adriana Marcela , Santamaria‐Rodriguez Daniel Francisco , Akle Veronica , Silva Ricardo Alfonso Pena 
Published: June 2021

Advances in medical education have highlighted the importance of promoting active learning spaces for the acquisition of complex thinking skills in biomedical sciences. The proper use of information technologies facilitates the distribution of content and activities that facilitate autonomous learning in students. Kura cloud is an internet‐based platform for the management of educational contents, mainly in biomedical sciences. In this study we present our experience using Kura cloud as one of the first steps towards the transition to a flipped course about medical physiology in Colombia.

Kura cloud was used as a voluntary complement during physiology teaching in which students had access to predesigned modules on the platform. The specific content of the courses was not directly evaluated in the course of physiology and the results of the activities carried out in Kura cloud did not affect the final grade in the course. The students' perception of the tool was evaluated through a survey that presented questions with Likert type responses. The survey evaluated different components of eight categories that were chosen to evaluate the tool, such as usability, sufficiency of knowledge prerequisites, motivation of students, instructions for use, quality of feedback, utility of the platform, impact on the acquisition of skills and articulation with the other activities of the course. In addition, a focus group was conducted to personally investigate the students' experience with the tool.

In general, the students valued the Kura cloud tool very well as a complement to their learning in physiology. More than 80% of the students favorably evaluated the usability, usefulness and impact of Kura Cloud on their learning. Kura cloud obtained high scores in the motivational component in which the students stated that they liked using the tool and it exceeded their expectations.

Although the students appreciate that the tool is well articulated with the classes of the course, they suggest that the contents of Kura cloud should be expanded to include other topics in areas such as neurophysiology. In addition, the course calendar should suggest the best time at which the Kura Cloud modules should be developed.

In conclusion, Kura cloud is a flexible tool that complements well the activities of our physiology course and was very well appreciated by the students. The contents of Kura Cloud could be expanded to include more modules with information on other important physiology topics and activities to help students acquire deeper learning and research skills.

Support or Funding Information

Vicerrectoría académica and College of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes. AD Instruments donated the licenses that were used in this innovation. AD Instruments did not participate in design, development, assessment or analysis of the data. AD Instruments was not involved in the preparation of this abstract

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.