Interactive Videoconferences in Higher Education: A Proposal to Enhance Learning and Participation

Abstract

In Higher Education, hybrid sessions have been implemented in higher education that may remain in place beyond the times of teaching emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed modality presents several uncertainties among teachers and students. Especially in the first case, questions arise about how to design the lesson sequencing, which platforms to use, among many others. This research aims to study the perceptions of teachers and students about interactive synchronous videoconferences, carried out by 5 coordinating teachers of 3 different subjects of the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona. The tools used are Bb Collaborate to manage the videoconference and Nearpod to present the learning content and the interactive activities that favor the interaction among students and with the contents. A qualitative analysis of the teachers’ perception of the design and development of the sessions has been carried out through self-reporting and a sample of 82 students from the learning analytics and an online form with open questions. The results indicate that this methodology is adequate with the students’ way of learning, increasing their participation. The results indicate that the teachers do not appreciate significant differences with respect to the preparation of the sequencing lesson plan of expository classes, although the level of teachers’ digital competence is a key factor. Students and teachers value positively the information in the learning analytics of the platform. These positive results may encourage teachers to use this type of pedagogical approaches and tools based on interactivity.