Abstract:

Abstract
The Mundial Higher Education System is facing a diverse and several challenges in a very short period of time. The pandemic situation of COVID-19 that the world is facing, imposed some really important changes in the Higher Education System: (i) The presence of a hybrid classes system (the online classes combined with face-to-face classes); (ii) The acquisitions of appropriate technologies and skills in order to use online platforms; (iii) The social distance imposed between students, teachers and between students and teachers; and (iv) the continuous teaching/learning process is complemented with the utilization of different tools of communications that support online classes.
In these circumstances, it is important to adopt innovative pedagogies that can better prepare students to ingress in the tourism profession, particularly in the context of crisis that the tourism the sector is facing. In order to bridge the gap between how different Tourism subjects can be taught in the university and how Tourism Professional Teams Works in the real-life context under a pandemic situation, interdisciplinary pedagogical activities were implemented within the classroom.
This article aims to describe and present interdisciplinary pedagogical practices within the Planning and Politics of Tourism and Introduction of Economic Tourism classes, under a particular context, in order to develop important competencies that will allow students to be better prepared to work in the tourism sector. Specifically, the principal goal is to investigate the students’ perception about competencies acquired through interdisciplinary activity under a collaborative learning activity within a pandemic situation.
This investigation adopted a case study method. In a quantitative approach, the students answered a questionnaire about self-assessment, motivation, skills, and competencies acquired along different stages of collaborative teamwork between peers. Complementing these findings, we used a qualitative approach. We describe teacher’s and students´ cooperation, and coordination efforts throughout the activity carried out along two different disciplines.
This research also provides important and novel insights to understand how students can develop important competencies, under a pandemic context, by learning from a hybrid process using interdisciplinary pedagogies. Teachers cooperation working through collaborative teaching activities and design were considered as a proper interdisciplinary activity in order to graduate better students. The world is living a unique moment within a pandemic situation. And it has a strong impact on the Higher Education System and all academic community. In this sense, teachers must be open-minded regarding the learning process, as well as the use of new technologies.

Keywords:

COVID-19, Interdisciplinary Pedagogies, Collaborative Teaching, Higher Professional Training Course.