Innovative teaching methodologies begat blended learning, which seems to facilitate engineering students’ achievement of competencies required for the 21st century and has proven to be essential to keep quality standards as university education has suffered the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we approach the use of b-learning and digital technologies before the pandemic started, and how it worked like a vaccine, enabling university education resilience and facilitating the sustainability of the students learning process. A questionnaire-based study is presented, in which the data came from Aerospace Engineering students following a Mathematics subject in a Technological University in Spain. ANOVA and ANCOVA analysis provided a significant difference in the appreciation of the adaptation based on the prior application of b-learning methodologies or more traditional methodologies. Results obtained indicated that the use of digital resources and educational platforms caused a noticeable change in the students’ way of learning, improving habits and digital skills.

Learning is a non-deterministic complex dynamical system where students transform inputs (classes, assignments, personal work, gamification activities, etc.) into outcomes (acquired knowledge, skills, and competencies). In the process, students generate outputs in a variety of ways (exams, tests, portfolios, etc.). The result of these outputs is a grade aimed at measuring the (level of) competencies achieved by each student. We revisit the relevance of continuous assessment to obtain this grading. We simultaneously investigate the generated outputs in different moments as modifiers of the system itself, since they may reveal a variation of the level of competencies achievement previously assessed. This is a novelty in the literature, and a cornerstone of our methodology. This process is called a Dynamical Continuous Discrete assessment, which is a form of blended assessment that may be used under traditional or blended learning environments. This article provides an 11-year perspective of applying this Dynamical Continuous Discrete assessment in a Mathematics class for aerospace engineering students, as well as the students’ perception of continuous assessments.

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Evaluating competencies achieved by students within a subject and its different topics is a multivariable and complex task whose outcome should provide actual information on their evolution. A relevant feature when a continuous assessment (CA) rules this evaluation is to track their learning process so that pertinent feedforward may be harnessed to proactively promote improvement when required. As this process is performed via a number of activities, such as lectures, problem solving, and lab practice, different competencies are developed, depending on the recurrence and type of conducted activity. Measuring and registering their achievement is the leitmotif of competency-based assessment. In this paper, we assemble topic, activity and competency data into a 3D matrix array to form what we call a TAC cuboid. This cuboid showcases a detailed account of each student evolution, aiding instructors and students to design and follow, respectively, an individualized curricular strategy within a continuous and aligned assessment methodology, which facilitates each student to adequately modify his/her level of development of each competency. In addition, we compare the TAC cuboids’ usage in grading a mathematics subject versus a traditional CA method as well as when a dynamical continuous assessment approach is considered to measure the achievement of mathematical competencies.

The introduction of game-based learning techniques has significantly swayed learning, motivation, and information processing in both traditional and digital learning environments. This paper studies the footprint that the implementation of ten short-duration digital escape rooms has had on the creation of an environment of positive emotions in the educational field. The digital escape rooms were created by employing the Genial.ly platform and RPG Maker MZ software. A feelings/satisfaction questionnaire has been conducted to study what emotions students have experienced, as well as the students’ opinions about essential elements of digital escape rooms, to study whether positive feelings predominate in the performance of these activities. Results show a high incidence of positive emotions, and a very favorable opinion on the tools employed and the positive feelings on the acquisition of knowledge and skills.