Abstract:

Due to the pandemic circumstances in which the world is immersed, many university subjects have been taught online during the 2020-2021 academic year. For the planning of classes in the first semester, the teachers at Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) have had all the technological resources at their disposal, such as the online teaching platform Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, the creative pen tablet, the Microsoft Whiteboard, as well as the virtual desk Myapps. This research compares the academic results obtained by students during the three previous academic courses where face to face teaching has been taught, versus online teaching for this course. It is desired to study whether this new teaching model guarantees the acquisition of the skills required in the subjects and certified by the assessments carried out. For this, the final marks of the students are analyzed in three different degrees, Degree in Computer Engineering in Information Systems, Degree in Environmental Sciences and Double Degree in Sociology and Social Work, comparing the results in problems tests, computer tests solved with the IBM SPSS program and the final marks obtained. Some descriptive statistics and graphics are presented to illustrate the analysis. The inferential mean comparison study for independent samples shows that online teaching has substantially lower academic results mainly in computer testing (SPSS). According to the logistic regression analysis performed, taking as a dependent variable whether it approves the subject (1) or fails (0) and taking as independent variables the degree, the SPSS marks, the problems marks, and the type of teaching (online vs. face to face), it is evident that the probability of passing the subject increases when a higher mark is reached in SPSS or when a good mark is reached in problems, but this probability is reduced when the teaching is online. Performing Pearson's chi-square test of independence between qualitative variables is observed as there is an association between the qualitative marks obtained by the student and the type of teaching that receives being the online teaching more associated with failure than the face to face teaching. The results corroborate what the teachers had been fearing while teaching classes, because it is much more difficult to capture and maintain the attention of students through a virtual format. As was expected, online teaching requires highly motivated students who are able to organize their time efficiently. It must also be taken into account that, in the context of virtual teaching, it is more difficult to attend to the diversity of the students, identifying the laggards and establishing mechanisms to incorporate them to the rhythm of the group.

Keywords:

Face to face teaching, online teaching, evaluation process.