Evaluación del impacto social del posgrado a distancia: rúbrica para la superación profesional

Abstract

Currently in Cuba, postgraduate education in the distance learning modality is supported. However, at the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas (UCLV), few researchers, administrators, and university professors conduct evaluations of the social impact of postgraduate programs offered in this modality. It has been observed that the acquired knowledge is not always explored in depth, and its transfer to professional and social performance is not always considered. Therefore, it can be stated that measuring the impact of the organizational structures of postgraduate programs developed in this modality is urgently needed. The objective of this article is to design a rubric as an instrument to evaluate the impact of postgraduate professional development in the distance learning modality. To this end, the following educational research methods were employed, using a dialectical-materialist approach: analytical-synthetic, systemic-structural, documentary analysis, and focus groups. The main results obtained are: the contextualization, for this modality, of the actions in the different stages of the "Methodology for Evaluating the Impact of Postgraduate Education" implemented at UCLV. Furthermore, indicators are established to measure the impact of distance postgraduate education in the dimensions related to personal, organizational, and social transformation. A rubric is conceived as an instrument to evaluate these indicators and their value; this rubric is a valid tool for systematically assessing the impact of postgraduate education in the distance learning modality and, consequently, for implementing improvement plans based on these results.