Análisis de la comunicación virtual y la satisfacción del alumnado en Educación Superior al aplicar metodologías Flipped Classroom combinadas con M-Learning

Abstract

The research proposes a model of analysis of virtual communication in a Community of Inquiry (CoI) when the flipped classroom methodology is applied using m-learning as an emerging technology. The general objective of this research is to analyze virtual communication in a CoI. In order to respond to the general objective as well as to the specific objectives, a descriptive, cross-sectional, convergent mixed methods design is used. In addition, a descriptive multiple case study is carried out with the aim of understanding the cases in different contexts and describing the communications established between a group of participants in two learning communities. The cases constitute two communities formed by students from two universities (Cuban and Spanish). Through the application of two valid and reliable assessment instruments that are designed and validated ad hoc for the quantitative aspect of this research, the relationship between the elements of virtual communication and virtual communicative competence in a flipped classroom environment combined with m-learning is analyzed. The first questionnaire is created to analyze communication in a learning community. The second is designed to measure the virtual communicative competence of these Higher Education students both at the beginning and at the end of the courses. By means of content analysis for the qualitative aspect, samples of cognitive, social and teaching presence are analyzed in two types of virtual communications, one with Moodle chat tool and the other with Telegram, both applying the flipped methodology combined with m-learning. The findings from the analysis of the samples of cognitive, social and teaching presence in the communications and the students' perception of the communications are contrasted. Cognitive presence occupies 44% of the communications, social presence 36% and teaching presence 20%. In relation to the students' perception, a scale of 1 to 4 shows a high perception of each of the presences: 3.65 for cognitive presence, 3.57 for social presence and 3.64 for teaching presence. The students' opinion corroborates that all the presences are highly perceived and that there are high correlations between several of them. While these analyses are being carried out, it is considered necessary to analyze the relationship between the elements of the CoI model and the dimensions of virtual communicative competence. The correlations between the dimensions considered necessary for the achievement of virtual communicative competence with the presences of the CoI model were mostly low. About 20% of the elements of the CoI model explain the students' preference in relation to the consumption of digital content in different formats. Likewise, cognitive, social and teaching issues explain more than 45% of students' abilities to contribute to collective critical thinking, solve problems and work collaboratively suggesting ethical use of information. However, the results obtained suggest that the teachers influenced the students through sustained communication so that they were able to project themselves as real people, which may have influenced the development of collaborative work skills.