Design and validation of a scale on perception of the use of learning pathways

Abstract

Introduction: Information and communication technologies added to virtual environments have allowed for innovation in terms of teaching-learning strategies. Learning paths provide several benefits to the students’ learning process, but there are currently no perception scales regarding the implementation of this specific methodology.

Objective: Design and validate a perception scale regarding the implementation of online learning pathways in university students studying health sciences who are taking the general physiology course.

Method: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. A total of 231 students participated. Content validation was carried out by 12 experts, construct validation was performed by means of an exploratory factor analysis and the internal reliability of the instrument was obtained through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.

Results: The scale was finally made up of 18 items distributed across four dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the same four original dimensions, and the minimum factor loading was 0.5: usefulness of learning paths, content of learning paths, access to learning paths, and satisfaction with learning paths. Regarding internal reliability, Cronbach’s alpha for the scale as a whole was 0.983 (95% CI = 0.979-0.986).

Conclusions: The scale showed high reliability and consisted of four dimensions. Based on the validation results, it was concluded that the scale is a good tool for understanding students’ perceptions of pedagogical interventions such as the use of learning paths, allowing objective and relevant evidence to be collected for teachers and higher education decision-makers seeking to apply innovations in the classroom.