Face-to-Face and distance education modalities in the training of healthcare professionals: A quasi-experimental study

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an 18-month-long course in Family Health. The course was offered in two modalities, distance education and face-to-face learning. Dependent variables were as follows: self-regulation of learning, procrastination, the perception of self-efficacy, and academic performance. The course was attended by 27 health professionals (i.e., physicians, nurses, and dentists) working in the Brazilian Unified Health System. The investigation followed a quasi-experimental design. Participants in the two modalities achieved similar academic performance; and globally no statistically significant differences were found regarding the study variables. Findings, notwithstanding their importance for professional training in health, are preliminary and further research is needed on the effectiveness of training modalities distance education and face-to-face learning (e.g., focus groups, interviews, online monitoring). The educational implications of this study are discussed and analyzed considering specificities and differences of each modality.
We wish to thank the clinical psychologist Ana Carolina Faedrich dos Santos (Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre), for the help on the statistical analysis. We thank for Open University of the Unified Health System (UNASUS), Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), and Institute of Research and Education (HMV) for the promotion course in Family Health offered in modalities distance education and face-to-face learning. We also thank CAPES for the support of the Pro-Health Education Project, Project 39, with daily funding for collection and participation in an event during the research.