Open AccessFaculty readiness for a digital education model: A self-assessment from health sciences educators
Author(s) -
Silvia Lizett Olivares Olivares,
Mildred Vanessa López Cabrera,
Román Martínez,
Juan Pablo Nigenda Álvarez,
Jorge E. Valdez-García
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australasian journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1449-5554
pISSN - 1449-3098
DOI - 10.14742/ajet.7105
Subject(s) - competence (human resources) , medical education , distance education , psychology , higher education , self assessment , faculty development , digital learning , pedagogy , professional development , computer science , medicine , political science , social psychology , law
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuity of education across the world is being supported through e-learning. Healthcare programs especially, require continuing patient-centered training to benefit individuals and society. The objective of this study was to assess the faculty members’ skills to continue educational services through a digital education model at the beginning of the lockdown. The methodology consisted in a quantitative approach descriptive and cross-sectional design. The instrument was a survey with two sections: (1) self-assessment and (2) self-ranking based on the digital education model. The results for 497 participants indicated higher scores on active learning and web conference digital skills. Evaluation is still a competence required to be reinforced by the faculty to incorporate a full transition into online learning. There seems to be an agreement about faculty readiness to implement different active learning strategies, despite being in a distance education model.Implications for practice:University leaders welcomed the self-assessment that faculty members performed on digital skills as it allowed them to adapt the training programs and designate staff teams to support the educators once classes restarted.Educators implementing a digital education model should consider a planned and structured educational solution that is beyond the distance between learners and teachers, but an engaging environment for learning incorporating different technologies and active pedagogies.