This process was enriching, as it was adapted to the characteristics of URACCAN's human talent and allowed for valuable academic exchange.

The "Certification in Virtual Teaching" course, taught by the Benito Juárez G. University of Mexico, and funded by the Norwegian International Student and Academic Assistance Fund (SAIH), where 170 URACCAN teachers participated, recently concluded with great success, leaving significant academic experiences.

This internationally certified and 120-hour academic course was proposed as a relevant proposal to the institutional strengthening processes promoted by URACCAN rector Dr. Alta Hooker, taking into account the context of the Caribbean Coast and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on educational presence and social mobility.

Participation in this course, according to URACCAN's academic director, MSc. Letisia Castillo, follows the alternative proposed by this institution to strengthen the teaching work and give continuity to the training processes, so fundamental to the development with identity of the Autonomous Regions.

The course involved undergraduate, undergraduate and postgraduate teachers, who developed knowledge, skills and skills in virtual pedagogy, opening themselves to new educational possibilities, more flexible and collaborative, so that, from the elaboration of instructional designs, the student builds his own learning process.

Impacts of the teacher strengthening process

In the context of the global emergency by Covid-19 and after a process of reflection and institutional validation, where the priority is always the health of its educational community, URACCAN implemented a model of distance learning (classes by meetings), so this course was timely and necessary in teacher strengthening.

The Virtual Teaching Certification, according to teacher Castillo, had a positive impact on URACCAN, as it allowed to deepen the challenges of online education and implement alternatives relevant to the regional educational situation, as well as understand the student community that is in the process of training.

In addition, Dr. William Flores, from the area of External Cooperation and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair, stated that another positive impact of this course lies in the "use of information and communication technologies in educational processes, but also in the different institutional ways of doing collaborative and research work and learning".

Teaching perception of the course

URACCAN educators emphasize that this course opened up new possibilities for them to develop a teaching more relevant to the regional and global context, but particularly of the Caribbean Coast, allowing them to make better instructional designs and based on the characteristics of Caribbean students, being more flexible towards meaningful and autonomous learning.

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