Beyond the screen: bidirectional communication as a transformative axis of the contemporary virtual classroom

Abstract

Contemporary higher education faces the challenge of transcending mere digital content transmission toward models that privilege genuine interaction among actors in the training process. This opinion piece analyzes the concept of the bidirectional classroom as an educational paradigm that breaks with the traditional unidirectional logic, and proposes a critical reflection on its implementation in the Cuban university context. It is argued that synchronous communication and immediate feedback constitute fundamental pillars for ensuring learning quality in virtual environments, beyond technological availability. The authors maintain that true bidirectionality implies a resignification of the teaching role and a reconceptualization of the student as a co-creator of knowledge, aspects frequently overlooked in superficial technological implementations. It is concluded that developing truly bidirectional classrooms requires not only technological infrastructure but deep pedagogical transformation that prioritizes epistemic dialogue and collective knowledge construction.