scholarly journals ONLINE EDUCATION – ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Author(s):  
Gérard J. Poitras ◽  
Gabriel Cormier ◽  
Eric G. Poitras

With online learning moving into the long term, the mental and academic impacts on students arelikely to be challenging. Preliminary results obtained from three different student surveys are presented and analyzed for different cohorts of undergraduate engineering students enrolled in an engineering program at the Université de Moncton. The first survey was administered during the last week of the Winter semester, before the final exams period. This survey was administered by the Engineering Faculty and created to get an overview of students experience during their online learning sessions. Specifically, the goal of this survey was to get information on which technical tools work best for distance learning during their online sessions and to improve future online learning sessions. Another survey was completed at the end of the Fall 2020 online learning semester. About half of all engineering students completed the surveys and a preliminary analysis was conducted. Finally, a third survey was administered during the Winter 2021 online learning semester. The aim of this study is to evaluate and analyze the results of these surveys using educational data mining. This work will provide an overview of the online learning experience during the end of the Winter 2020 semester and the academic year 2020-2021 and establish relations between classroom and online learning environments. New data analysis may help to accelerate and improve future hybrid classroom-online learning pedagogy since permanent changes are expected in the near future for many engineering programs. This study shows that students vary in their abilities to adapt to this new reality. Most prefer recorded audio clipsof PowerPoint presentations beforehand combined with online synchronous learning using video conferencing software. This suggests that effective online learning requires extra time from educators to better prepare class sessions. Furthermore, there is an important correlation between the level of student motivation and their appreciation level of online learning.

Author(s):  
Nadine Ibrahim ◽  
Allison Van Beek

A new learning opportunity among civil engineering students is learning about urbanization in cities, which combines the sub-disciplines of civil engineering in a seamlessly interdisciplinary manner.  One of the greatest benefits of learning about a global phenomenon such as urbanization is introducing the opportunities to offer examples of the technological, cultural and social diversity surrounding the evolution of urban design, technologies and sustainable strategies from global cities. The ability to have a globally diverse classroom to bring in these perspectives and create a learning experience that captures this information sharing and exchange can be created through course design, learning activities, and assessments, hence the “global classroom.”  The authors present a case study of the global classroom for the online course “Sustainable Cities: Adding an African Perspective” and share their perspective on learner-driven formats that support the global classroom, which hinges upon students’ own interest and commitment to an online learning format.  


Author(s):  
Susan Silverstone

<p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The challenges for education in the 21<sup><span style="position: relative; top: -4pt; mso-text-raise: 4.0pt;">st </span></sup>century are fundamentally the same as they were in each of the past centuries &ndash; holding on to what is of value while discovering and developing what adds value to both teaching and learning. While the future is difficult to predict, the seeds of the future can be seen in the behaviors of the present. Obviously technology will play an even greater role in future education no matter how much and how quickly technology changes. Of greater importance than technology is the thinking needed for knowing how to use technology for advancing education for both students and instructors. Identifying the shifts in behavior that people are experiencing today provides clues on the practices that will be common tomorrow. Basic changes in education include the following: (1) moving from an instructor-centered paradigm focused on teaching to a learner-centered model focused on learning; (2) shifting from an emphasis on textbooks as a preferred source of knowledge to the use of technology as the primary tool for acquiring information and ideas; (3) advancing from knowledge to know-how exemplified in the differences expected from the cognitive, behaviorist and constructivist approaches to learning; and (4) sharing responsibility for learning through increased interaction and continuous communication between and among all individuals engaged in becoming educated persons. Technology, though it may be the key tool for facilitating these changes, has its limitations as well as its advantages, as any instructor knows when comparing face-to-face classroom lecturing with virtual asynchronous online discussions. Today&rsquo;s students are techno-savvy and may be considered the &ldquo;Wi-Fi Generation.&rdquo; In the School of Business at National University, the second largest not-for-profit university in California, a blended approach to learning has been adopted in the accelerated one-month format used for its online education program. This paper explores the effects of some new technological options which were recently provided to marketing students in order to make their online learning experience more exciting and meaningful. National University&rsquo;s online classes are offered on the eCollege platform. Students interact with each other asynchronously through discussion boards and synchronously in weekly chat sessions. Chat sessions had been offered in a text-based format, but the School of Business has invested in iLinc software which provides Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capability. In iLinc, students can see and hear each other as well as the instructor in real time. The system allows application sharing, group web-browsing, the display of PowerPoint</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">&reg; </span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">slideshows, voting, and independent group work. Using this technology, the instructor acts as both a discussion moderator and a live lecturer. The traditional text-based chats are no longer used due to the high student acceptance and delight with the iLinc system. Outside of the virtual classroom, the marketing students were tasked to analyze and comment on the content of selected television shows. National University&rsquo;s students are adult learners who grew up passively watching television from an early age. These assignments were designed to get them to think beyond the surface entertainment to the underlying marketing and business messages given in these shows. For example, a graduate advertising class was assigned to comment on the reality show, The Apprentice, while an undergraduate class critiqued the Super Bowl advertisements. In both classes the students were told to look at these programs critically and share their comments with the class. The use of these current mass media presentations, (which afforded live action cases that demonstrated the immediate consequences of managerial actions), was shown to be very powerful. </span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">Overall, the students appear to thoroughly enjoy this addition of topical and &ldquo;live&rdquo; learning tools to their online learning experience. While not tested empirically as yet, these new classroom tools seem to increase student comprehension and retention of the course material. </span></span></p>


Author(s):  
Hongwei Yang ◽  
Jian Su ◽  
Kelly D. Bradley

With the rapid growth of online learning and the increased attention paid to student attrition in online programs, much research has been aimed at studying the effectiveness of online education to improve students’ online learning experience and student retention. Utilizing the online learning literature as a multi-faceted theoretical framework, the study developed and employed a new survey instrument. The Self-Directed Online Learning Scale (SDOLS) was used to examine graduate student perceptions of effectiveness of online learning environments as demonstrated by their ability to take charge of their own learning, and to identify key factors in instructional design for effective improvements. The study applied the Rasch rating scale model to evaluate and validate SDOLS through a psychometric lens to establish the reliability and validity of SDOLS. Results from Rasch analysis addressed two research questions. First, evidence was found to generally support the new instrument as being psychometrically sound but three problematic items were also identified as grounds for future improvement of SDOLS. Second, the study assessed the importance of various factors as measured by the SDOLS items in contributing to students’ ability to self-manage their own online learning. Finally, the new instrument is expected to contribute to the work of various stakeholders in online education and can serve to improve students’ online learning experience and effectiveness, increase online retention rates, and reduce online dropouts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
Ommi Alfina ◽  

This research aims to (1) find out the results of the implementation of Learning Management System (LMS)-Google Classroom in the online learning process for Informatics Engineering students, Universitas Potensi Utama during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) learn about students' responses to online learning using LMS-Google Classroom. This research is based on the transformation of the course process from face-to-face learning to remote learning (PJJ) by relying on technology as a substitute for learning media, known as distance learning and online learning. This research was conducted using case study methods. This research was conducted on informatics engineering students in multimedia courses. Sampling techniques using purposive sampling methods. The results showed that the application of LMS-Google Classroom to online learning for Informatics Engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive effect, especially in terms of absorption related to understanding lecture materials. Based on the results of student questionnaire calculations, it was obtained that as many as 23% of students find it difficult to attend lectures using LMS-Google Classroom which is reviewed in terms of technological efficiency and material understanding level. Meanwhile, 77% of students are happy and enthusiastic about gaining a new learning experience after using LMS-Google Classroom to participate in multimedia lectures. It can be concluded that the implementation of LMS-Google Classroom in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the solutions that can be used so that the lecture process can continue. However, it is necessary to provide assistance and control over student activities to keep students motivated in following the lecture process in the context of online learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 633
Author(s):  
Nastaran Peimani ◽  
Hesam Kamalipour

Students’ learning experiences and perceptions are markedly influenced by the use of digital technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring students’ perception of blended online learning, amid the adaptations of the higher education sector in the wake of uncertainty, has become more critical than ever. This paper reflects on the experience of learning and teaching the Research Methods and Techniques subject in the postgraduate programme of MA Urban Design at Cardiff University during COVID-19 in the UK. To do so, we designed and carried out an online survey to explore students’ perception of online teaching and learning activities, feedback and assessment, and digital platforms based on their experience during the subject delivery period in the 2020–2021 academic year. One of the significant findings of this paper was that students agreed with the impact of eye contact on their virtual learning experience but as long as this was aligned with their rights to see others, including their peers and instructors, rather than reciprocal rights to be seen. In addition, students felt that facilitating synchronous communication through effective interaction among diverse peers has been quite challenging in small-group online reading seminars. The majority of respondents also reported that attending live online lectures was more helpful than watching pre-recorded lectures. Online formative feedback and synchronous interim reviews also allowed students to reflect on their progress and develop their projects further before their summative assessment. The outcomes of this paper can effectively assist educators who consider delivering programmes, adopting a blended online learning environment design model, in the post COVID-19 era. The findings of this study can also provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using digital technology and blended online learning in urban design education and pedagogy.


Author(s):  
Ye Li ◽  
Imran Haddish ◽  
Xuefeng Zhu ◽  
Yoshinori Satoh ◽  
Rizwan Uddin

Efficient and effective education and training of nuclear engineering students, nuclear reactor operators, their supervisors, and other personnel are critical for the safe operation and maintenance of any nuclear reactor, whether for research or commercial power generation. Radiation and reactor laboratories are a very important part of such training. Recent increase in the student population in nuclear engineering programs has put strains on laboratory resources. This increase in student population, constraints on resources and qualitative improvements in gaming technology have led researchers in the field of radiological and nuclear engineering to explore virtual, game-like models to provide the needed experience [1–3]. Though virtual lab experience may never completely replace an actual physical lab experience in educational institutions, in some ways virtual labs may provide a better experience than limited cookbook style executions in a physical lab or reactor operator training course. We have earlier reported our initial efforts toward the development of a generic virtual and interactive laboratory environment [3]. This virtual lab presents a fully immersive learning experience. We here report the specifics of a radiation lab in which half-life and shielding experiments can be conducted, and simulation-based real-physics data can be gathered.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rola Alhabshneh ◽  
Anas Alibrahim ◽  
Tahani Abu-Alteen ◽  
Wiam Hamadah ◽  
Yousef Khader

BACKGROUND The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major public health challenge for many countries around the world. The global lockdown of educational institutions is going to cause major disruption to students’ learning and cancellation of their yearly assessments. Dental students are particularly at risk, due to the possibility of aerosols produced in many dental procedures that were suggested as a way of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Shifting to online learning is needed in this era. OBJECTIVE This article aims to review the online learning experience, the effectiveness of tele-dentistry and the importance of implementing dental virtual simulation in preclinical and clinical courses during pandemics. Some suggestions are also provided to widen communication and creativity in the education system. The limitations of online learning and suggested solutions are also discussed. METHODS Two independent investigators conducted an electronic comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE for articles published between 2000 and 2020, using the following search terms: “online education”; “Tele-dentistry”; “Education during pandemics”; “Virtual dentistry”; “COVID-19 reshaping education”; and “Dental E-learning.” Studies were selected and classified as included or excluded based on the title and abstract of the articles by the 2 researchers, working independently. Articles included were published in English, related to dentistry and online education. Articles excluded were not published in English or related to conventional education. It was not possible to analyze included articles, therefore we decided to do narrative review only. Authors’ points of view and suggestions were also added to shed light on the online learning experience and understand its quality and effectiveness during pandemics. RESULTS : from 150 articles reviewed, only 30 articles were found to qualify for inclusion. All included articles discussed online education based on experience of authors and provided some suggestions so that online learning experience becomes more effective. All included articles found that online education is a useful tool to be invested at times of pandemics and that it needs to be empowered and improved by schools and universities. CONCLUSIONS Being successful in riding the wave will take dental learning and teaching into a new era. In the future, every dean and faculty member will understand that online education is not only a potential source for new revenue. Instead, online education will be recognized as an essential core to every educational plan for institutional resilience and academic continuity. CLINICALTRIAL None


Author(s):  
Sadegh Babaii Kochekseraii ◽  
Libby Osgood

 Abstract –The focus of this paper is to present a baseline to a proposed longevity project for enhanced introduction of lifelong learning skill to engineering students. Lifelong learning is one of the twelve graduate attributes identified and evaluated by CEAB in the accreditation process of Canadian engineering programs. ENGN 326: Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing is a third year core course with a broad scope of topics Students’ learning experience could be enriched if they adopt a proactive learning effort of setting weekly learning goals that could go beyond the set of topics given in the course syllabus. From their weekly submissions and their subsequent reflections, we tried to answer how realistic goals were set by the students and how much they were related to course materials. Comparisons to a similar study [1], presented in CEEA16 by the authors, have been made to show the effectiveness of SMART goal setting intervention to be given in an appropriate time before the first mid-term.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 2157-2160
Author(s):  
Chin-Yen Alice Liu

In the era of theInternet, most educators have been supported by powerful tools ranging from e-books and e-learning sites to cloud services, and students’ learning environment has been a mix between traditional study (in class) and e-learning through some kind of online learning platform. Due to the uncertainty of the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, all colleges and universities have to shutter their physical campuses and move their courses to remote and online formats hastily. This prompted many to wonder if all of the faculty are ready and qualified to teach online courses and/or if all of the students are ready to learn in the comprehensive online environment. If not, what ultimate impact will be to our higher education during this national emergency virus pandemic since there is no choice but depend on where they sit currently, not to mention the negative reviews and concerns regarding the online education. To make this transfer seamlessly and conflict mitigation, this paper applied systems thinking for an e-Learning course and proposed a flexible grading method for an e-learning environment, which will enhance students’ grades by allowing students to control their own study paces and the amount of efforts spent in the course, which can bring a successful online learning experience.


Author(s):  
Kriengsak Panuwatwanich ◽  
Rodney A. Stewart

Understanding the readiness of students to undertake online education has been viewed as a necessary precursor to ensuring their success in an online learning environment. To serve this purpose, a number of Online Learning Readiness (OLR) assessment tools have been developed. However, the relationship between the students’ readiness, assessed by these tools, and the actual online learning outcomes has not been well established. This chapter presents a study that assesses the Online Learning Readiness (OLR) of a sample group of postgraduate engineering students and determines whether there is any association between the level of readiness and the extent to which the students use online learning tools. The research employed a questionnaire survey targeting a group of postgraduate students undertaking a project management course at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Based on the survey data from 30 valid responses, it was found that the sampled students had different levels of OLR and can be clustered into three main groups: developed, less-developed, and developing OLR, and that the higher level of OLR can be associated with more extensive use of online learning tools.


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