Abstract
Background: Online education has been implemented in various higher education contexts for several years, enabling increased access to education. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the education system at multiple levels, and higher education was compelled to implement an "emergency remote teaching" (ERT) format, enabling it to address the health crisis promptly. However, few studies in Latin America have compared the results of courses implemented in both modalities (online and face-to-face).
Objective: Analyze the satisfaction of a teacher training course on active learning methods for university instructors in Latin America, implemented online in the context of ERT during 2020-2022, compared to the course implemented face-to-face during 2018 and 2019.
Methods: For this, instructors from the Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), Universidad San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, Bolivia (USFX), and Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil (UFPR) were invited to participate in a course on "Educational Interventions" adapted to the virtual environment. The face-to-face courses were performed in Lima, Peru, and San José, Costa Rica, with instructors from different universities in Latin America. The evaluation utilized a 5-point Likert-based questionnaire that assessed satisfaction in accordance with the Kirkpatrick model.
Results: A total of 121 surveys were collected (83 from the online course and 38 from the face-to-face courses). Participants resided in 9 countries (Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico) and represented various disciplines, including Biology, Medicine, and Engineering.). Online course participants reported a significantly higher age than in-person course participants (p = 0.008). All respondents would recommend the course to their colleagues, and the average course rating was 9.28 out of 10. Overall, a good level of satisfaction was reported in both formats. Technological resources were better valued in the online course, whereas tutor support was more valued in the in-person format.
Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of online education based on active learning methods, particularly during crises, to enhance access while maintaining educational quality, leveraging the technological resources currently available.