The study by Beltrán-Flandoli, Pérez-Rodríguez, and Mateus offers a critical review of YouTube’s role as a pedagogical tool in Ibero-American universities, examining not only its applications but also its limitations.
Through a rigorous analysis of scientific literature, the authors show that the use of this platform intensified especially during the pandemic, when higher education was compelled to migrate urgently to digital environments. In this context, YouTube has positioned itself as a space for the production, distribution, and consumption of educational resources which, beyond its recreational nature, has gained a strong foothold in the academic sphere.
One of the study’s most compelling contributions is the categorization of practices identified around the use of YouTube in university teaching. These range from the production of videos by students and faculty to the use of the platform as a repository of supplementary resources or as an instrument for learning assessment.
However, the authors stress that methodological innovation does not depend solely on the tool itself, but on the way it is pedagogically integrated. Hence arises the need for critical digital literacy and teacher training to ensure a conscious and educationally meaningful use.
Finally, the study highlights both the opportunities and challenges of YouTube in higher education. On the one hand, the platform supports the creation of dynamic, connective, and multimodal cyber-classrooms that enrich the learning experience and strengthen pedagogical dialogue. On the other, it faces obstacles related to the digital divide, the instrumentalization of its use, and institutional resistance that hinders full integration.
In this sense, the research goes beyond merely describing success stories; it invites a critical questioning of the relationship between technology, pedagogy, and digital culture in the Ibero-American university.
---
How to Cite: Beltrán-Flandoli, A. M., Pérez-Rodríguez, A., & Mateus, J.-C. (2023). YouTube as a Cyber-Classroom. Critical Review of its Pedagogical Use at Ibero-American University. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 26(1), 287–306. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.26.1.34372
