Abstract:

This study examines how class attendance influences the comprehension of fundamental concepts in the Financial Mathematics course at Miguel Hernández University (UMH). Specifically, it evaluates a proposed asynchronous methodology designed to compensate for the absence of face-to-face lectures when students are unable to attend. To this end, a controlled experiment was conducted in which students completed a practical exercise aimed at assessing various aspects of learning.

The experiment involved students from the Degree in Business Administration and Management (ADE, academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26) and the Double Degree in Law and ADE (DADE, 2025/26). To minimize bias and ensure homogeneous academic conditions, the subject was taught by the same faculty members across all groups.

In the first phase (2024/25), a controlled experiment was conducted with 51 ADE students. Group A (n=21, 52.38% women), composed of students from the Elche campus, received a PDF containing the professor's handwritten notes, simulating the material a classmate might provide to an absent peer, including diagrams presented on the whiteboard. Conversely, Group B (n=30, 38.71% women), formed by students from the Orihuela campus, accessed the same content in an audiovisual format, displaying the handwritten content created on a tablet while listening to the accompanying explanation. This format approximated a face-to-face lecture as closely as possible without direct interaction. The objective was to provide one group with more dynamic and direct access to the content, contrasting it with the static notes format received by the other group.

Performance was evaluated using rubrics that assessed problem comprehension, application and formulation of concepts, procedural and logical development, and interpretation of results. Statistical analysis (Student’s t-test) revealed significant differences: Group B (audiovisual) achieved a superior mean score of 7.01, compared to 5.10 for Group A (PDF) (p<0.05). Subsequently, Group A was allowed to repeat the exercise using the audiovisual material; in this second stage, their mean score increased substantially to 8.01, matching Group B’s performance (p>0.05).

In the current phase (2025/26), the study extended to DADE students (n=27, 55.55% women) incorporated into the Group B (audiovisual), yielding a preliminary mean score of 7.90. A replication with the new ADE cohort is scheduled for the second semester.

This experimental design explores the relevance of classroom interaction and access to dynamic educational resources in the understanding of complex mathematical content. The results provide evidence regarding the efficacy of traditional teaching methods versus more autonomous approaches. The conclusions suggest that the audiovisual format effectively replicates the cognitive load and dynamism of in-person lectures, facilitating better assimilation of complex mathematical models compared to static notes, offering a foundation for optimizing pedagogical strategies in non-face-to-face modalities.

Keywords:

Financial Mathematics, Asynchronous learning, Class attendance, Academic performance, Educational innovation, Higher Education.