The Effect of Smart Classrooms on Project-Based Learning: A Study Based on Video Interaction Analysis

Classroom interaction affects the classroom atmosphere as well as students’ behavior and participation, thus affecting the quality of classroom teaching. In traditional classrooms, inherent problems (e.g., inflexible tables and chairs, rigid multimedia consoles, and traditional software) have seriously restricted the overall quality of classroom interpersonal interaction. In recent years, the problem of enhancing classroom interaction has gradually attracted the attention of scholars. The application of project-based learning (PBL) in higher education is effective, but few studies have analyzed the differences in interaction between smart classrooms and traditional classrooms in PBL courses. In this study, through the proposed teacher–student classroom interaction behavior analysis framework, 20 sessions in smart classrooms and 20 sessions in traditional classrooms were encoded to illustrate the differences between interaction in these two types of classrooms. Furthermore, 765 student questionnaires on satisfaction with and participation in smart classrooms were collected to determine whether smart classrooms affect students’ satisfaction and participation in PBL courses. The questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. The results showed that there were significant differences in four dimensions of teachers’ behavior, students’ behavior, technology, and other interactions between the smart classroom and the traditional classroom. After taking PBL courses in a smart classroom, students were generally satisfied and thought that the smart learning environment could help them improve their thinking and learning. Suggestions on the further construction and application of smart classrooms are proposed.