B-Learning and Technology: Enablers for University Education Resilience. An Experience Case under COVID-19 in Spain

Abstract

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.

Dynamical Continuous Discrete Assessment of Competencies Achievement: An Approach to Continuous Assessment

“…The competencies pursued with this subject include the ability to apply knowledge about linear algebra, differential geometry, differential and integral calculus, and an introduction to differential equations and numerical methods. To achieve them and assess the learning process, a number of different activities are scheduled, recently with an increasing number of them via digital means and flipped methodology [24]:…”

“…The learning process runs throughout various activities, such as master classes, problem solving, gamification activities, or lab sessions, where students play a more or less active role with student-centered activities, such as project-based learning, flipped teaching (FT) [6][7][8][9], or a combination of these, with the so-called blended learning (BL) methodologies [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Indeed, BL and educational technology have proven to be crucial in the university resilience to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic that irrupted the 2020 academic year [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

The Higher Education Sustainability before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Spanish and Ecuadorian Case

“…However, as previously stated, most studies focused on students' perspectives, more commonly in secondary educational levels. Only in few cases have inter-continental studies included university teachers' perception of the challenge of virtual teaching imposed by COVID-19 pandemic [67,72,77,78,80]. Although other researchers have indicated their relevance in using ICTs in education and the impact during the pandemic [69,72], there is still missing information.…”

Entrepreneurial Intention before and during COVID-19—A Case Study on Portuguese University Students

“…Consequently, countries had to implement large expenditure measures to increase the capacity of their health systems to assist their populations, as they were strongly affected by the pandemic [13]. In education, some methodologies had to be changed to facilitate students' learning in a sustainable manner [14]. In general, society faced a decrease in positive feelings and a dissatisfaction with lifestyle, derived from economic problems [14].…”

“…In education, some methodologies had to be changed to facilitate students' learning in a sustainable manner [14]. In general, society faced a decrease in positive feelings and a dissatisfaction with lifestyle, derived from economic problems [14]. Socioeconomic factors are the drivers of the conditions in which society lives.…”