Evaluation of online teacher training programs on innovation and digital competences during covid-19: #webinarsunia

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a digital transformation in university teaching that has yet to be assessed and analyzed in all its dimensions. Faced with this, institutions have developed different strategies, also in network, to train teachers. This paper offers a university program, #webinarsUNIA, framed in annual university teacher training plans from 2013-14 but open and free of charge for anyone interested. We focused on the results of the 2020-21 edition, with twenty seminars in response to teacher training demands due to the sudden and rapid virtualization of their programs during the pandemic and with a total of 10,933 participants from different geographical origins. To measure their satisfaction, surveys were designed with Cronbach’s alpha 0.789, which considered, among other dimensions: Organization, teachers, contents and format of the activities. The evaluation was optional and obtained a sample of 1908 responses (34% of those who completed the training). The outcomes were generally rather positive because they met the principle of relevance in the objectives, gathered in a needs survey prior to the design and timeliness in the format. In addition, they paved the way for the generation of new resources and learning products in SPOC format, which are very useful for training a large number of teachers on digital competences, educational innovation and e-learning in the Covid-19 scenario.