Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on New Trends in Teaching and Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Enhancing Practical Laboratory Skills Through Video-Based Flipped Learning
Carolina Vargas, Andrés Garcés, Esther M. Sánchez-Carnerero and Luis F. Sánchez-Barba
ABSTRACT:
Higher education must cultivate essential transversal abilities such as collaboration, communication, autonomy and critical analysis, which are vital in today’s dynamic environments. These skills, central to 21st-century education, are often lacking in STEM graduates due to traditional, lecture-based instruction. Active student-centered methods, like the flipped classroom, address this shortfall by prioritizing engagement and applied learning. Integrating this model into lab settings enhances both conceptual understanding and hands-on skills, fostering adaptable graduates equipped for complex, real-world challenges in both professional and personal domains. This study evaluates the use of instructor-created videos in a flipped classroom for first-year Chemistry students in an Engineering program at the School of Experimental Sciences and Technology at Rey Juan Carlos University. Aimed at addressing knowledge gaps in lab techniques, the approach fostered active learning and transferable skill development. The activity is part of a study evaluating lab performance and student perceptions via pre- and post-practice surveys. It measures expectations, prior knowledge by an initial survey, as well as satisfaction by a final one. Participation in surveys is voluntary, with informed consent and ethical approval from the university’s committee. Students’ initial survey scores (3–3.5/on a 5-point Likert scale) showed strong engagement and interest in analyzing subject content. Final scores (3.5–4/5) highlighted improved understanding, especially through collaboration. Learners appreciated innovative group tasks and valued clarity in evaluation, reinforcing the activity’s positive impact on learning. Student performance was analysed in relation to a prior cohort that did not engage with the video-based instructional strategy. Results revealed a notable shift, with participants attaining moderate to high marks. Success rates rose by 11%, and the proportion of top grades grew by 25%. These outcomes suggest that methodological enhancements positively influenced learning effectiveness, reflecting both increased academic achievement and strong student engagement with the innovative pedagogical approach.
Keywords: Flipped classroom; hands-on abilities; STEM education; technological skills; videos