Educate to transform: An innovative experience for faculty training

Abstract

Abstract Learning-focussed educational models require the development of pedagogical, methodological, assessment and technological competences among the faculty community. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for this training. This study evaluates the impact of the training project “Educate to Transform” on teacher attitudes, knowledge and on the implementation of innovative teaching methodologies. There were 695 faculty participants in the program conducted at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV). Participants included full-time professors (FULL-PROF) and part-time professors (PART-PROF). The measurement instrument was validated using the entire sample and a subsample of 357 participants was used to analyse the impact of the program (pre and post measurement). Professor attitudes and knowledge of or familiarity with innovative methodologies and their application in the classroom were evaluated. The findings show that the program improved the attitudes of teachers towards innovation, raised the level of awareness and number of methodologies implemented in the classroom. The methodology towards more experiential and collaborative learning is effective in transforming teaching practice. Furthermore, the implementation of the program through the CANVAS platform, making teachers live the experience as learners, seems to have contributed to improve the teachers' attitude towards the LMS. The only difference found among the participants was a worse attitude towards innovation on the part of medical teachers, with a clearly differentiated profile of teachers and students, as well as a greater implementation of active methodologies by teachers with a lower teaching load. Overall, it may be concluded that the program achieved its proposed objectives.