Analysis of student and faculty perceptions of the implementation of the flipped classroom as a teaching strategy in the Electrotherapy course at UCIMED

Abstract

This article analyzes the perceptions of students and faculty in the Electrotherapy course regarding the application of the flipped classroom pedagogical model at the Universidad de Ciencias Médicas (UCIMED). This approach, which reverses the traditional teaching order by first introducing theoretical content outside the classroom through digital resources and dedicating in-person sessions to practical application, emerged as a response to the need to integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into university education following the COVID-19 pandemic. The population consisted of 17 students from the Electrotherapy course and the instructor in charge of teaching it. The study was exploratory and retrospective, with a mixed-methods approach. A self-administered online survey was applied, complemented by an anecdotal record kept by the instructor. The information collected was subjected to descriptive analysis, with data tabulated using Microsoft Excel® from Office 365® and analyzed through descriptive statistics. The main result showed that most students considered that the prior instructional materials (videos and audio presentations) and in-class review facilitated learning and improved the use of practical sessions. However, a need was identified to improve the quality and dynamism of the pre-recorded material. It is therefore concluded that the flipped classroom fosters self-directed learning, autonomy, and the optimization of practical time, although it requires gradual adaptation from students and additional effort from faculty in developing and updating instructional resources, establishing itself as an effective and replicable educational strategy.