Increasing access to hydrologic modelling through a two-phase course

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a popular hydrologic model, but learning to use it effectively is challenging. In this study, a two-phase course was developed for teaching SWAT to students and faculty in Peru. The initial on-line course provided basic knowledge of SWAT, and participants who successfully completed it were qualified to participate in an in-person workshop, where they learned to adjust SWAT for regional studies and improve model performance. Evaluations were conducted at the end of both phases to determine course outcomes and the effectiveness of the two-phase approach. Results showed that both on-line and in-person phases were beneficial and complementary. The on-line course provided a low-cost, self-paced introduction and its required completion before the workshop increased efficiency of the in-person phase. The workshop was advantageous for learning objectives related to preparing and using local data, since questions became more frequent as the training proceeded from general concepts to site-specific application. The two-phase approach was beneficial for SWAT training and increased participants’ access to this hydrological model.