Abstract:

In this work, a successful experience on the educational tools used in Higher Education during the COVID-19 pandemic is shown. The combined use of a Problems-Based Learning Methodology (PBL) and peer-to-peer along with the intensive use of Moodle and a specifically developed software tool, has been a successful educational experience in the framework of an international Master's with world-wide students that joined after an intensive selection stage.

This methodology has been applied, at the REM+ MSc, https://www.master-remplus.eu/about-remplus/ an ERASMUS MUNDUS Master's, devoted to the engineering aspects of offshore renewable energies. Students are selected from all over the world under very competitive and strict conditions.

Motivation is the key factor for high performance and satisfaction in all human activities. We human beings, feel the need to have control over our own lives, and this involves both learning and creating new things in order to improve the world around us.

Problem-based learning (PBL) in higher education generates motivation among students who are eager to learn the contents of high level MScs, which favours acquiring practical skills and long-term retention.

A comparison among the results under standard and recent COVID-19 pandemic conditions, indicate that the use of the selected methodologies have succeeded at meeting the educational objectives of the subjects in this international-level MSc. This has shown the outstanding performance and resilience of the Problems-Based Learning Methodology that, as far as outcomes are concerned, has allowed a perfect continuity at meeting educational results both in regular conditions, and then also under the pandemic conditions of COVID-19.

Keywords:

Problem-based Learning, COVID-19, Higher Education.