Use of ict tools in hybrid environments of presential and virtual learning. Experience in two mechanical engineering subjects of master's degree

Abstract

[EN] In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised to an international pandemic level the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Consequently, the Spanish government declared the State of Alarm on March 14th, 2020. From that moment on, all non-essential activities were tightened lockdown. This measure affected all levels of education, and face-to-face learning was suspended until the end of the academic year. While the last year all the educational community was forced to suddenly move to online platforms, this year has been rather marked by the need of flexibility in the learning model. The main reasons are the constant threat of global lockdowns, the changing local mobility restriction measures and the forced isolation or quarantine in case of infections or close contact with someone with a positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. This situation has drastically affected the face-to-face teaching model. At the same time, this uncertain scenario has undoubtedly been an opportunity to implement Information and Communications Technology (ICT)activities in our teaching. This paper presents some actions implemented in two subjects of mechanical design of two different master¿s degrees with 36 and 19 students, respectively. The developed resources concern to the learning materials provided to the students, both for theoretical and practical lessons. The audio-visual materials generated over the classes, both videos and annotations on the virtual whiteboard, has also been managed. Finally, the delivery and defence of the students' works have been adapted. As it was foreseeable all, some of the students or the teacher, have followed the classes online over the term. In all cases, the developed materials and the methodology followed have been valid for use in face-to-face teaching, online and blended learning, thus providing the flexibility required. The level of success has been measured, mainly through a survey answered by the students. In addition, it has been analysed objective data, such as the marks and the number of visits or downloads of the documents uploaded to the UPV e-learning platform. Finally, it is concluded which actions taken would be valid for the post-COVID era.