Smart Classrooms and Academic Performance in Medical Students at the Universidad Privada Abierta Latinoamericana in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Abstract

Introduction: Smart classrooms represent an educational innovation strategy aimed at integrating technological resources, pedagogical interaction, and more dynamic learning environments. However, their perceived usefulness and relationship with academic performance require context-specific evidence in medical education. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived usefulness of smart classrooms and its association with academic performance among medical students at a private university in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Methods: An observational, analytical, comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted among 153 medical students, distributed between smart classrooms n = 77 and traditional classrooms n = 76. A structured questionnaire with Likert-type items was administered to assess technological use, motivation, participation, perceived learning, satisfaction/recommendation, teaching innovation, and global usefulness. Academic performance was measured using the authorized final grade. Between-group comparisons, effect sizes, adjusted linear models, and logistic regression for high perceived usefulness were performed. Results: Students in smart classrooms showed higher mean scores across all perceptual dimensions. The largest differences were observed in technological use d = 1.149 and global usefulness d = 0.887. The proportion of students reporting high perceived usefulness was greater in smart classrooms than in traditional classrooms 75.3% vs. 51.3%, and this association remained significant after adjustment for age and sex adjusted OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.24-5.30; p = 0.011. No robust association was observed between classroom type and final grade. Discussion: Smart classrooms were associated with a better perception of educational usefulness, although no consistent evidence of improvement in academic performance was found.