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Comparing the Effects of In-Person and Remote Learning on Student Performance in an Undergraduate Introductory Statics and Mechanics of Materials Course

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

Remote and Flipped Instruction in Mechanics

Page Count

10

DOI

10.18260/1-2--41446

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/41446

Download Count

354

Paper Authors

biography

Hayden Richards United States Air Force Academy

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Hayden Richards is an instructor of mechanical engineering at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 compelled revolutionary changes in teaching methodologies for many conventional institutions of higher education. This study explores the implications of these changes on student performance in an undergraduate introductory mechanical engineering course; given that between the Fall of 2019 and the Spring of 2022, this course conducted normal classroom operations, transitioned to the virtual environment, conducted a full semester virtually, then transitioned back into our ‘new normal’ classroom environment. During this time the course content and grading methodologies remained relatively unchanged, facilitating comparison between semesters. In addition, this course is required for the entire undergraduate student population regardless of academic major. This provides a diverse cross-section of incoming students, academically and otherwise. With over 2600 students completing the course during these semesters, this study objectively compares performance on course graded events such as exams, lab reports, and group design projects. The ultimate goals of this study are to 1) compare student performance across remote and in-person classroom settings and 2) provide future instructors with data to help optimize the student learning environment for all classroom settings. The conclusions of this study indicate that semesters of transition between in-person and remote learning are the most challenging for students, but otherwise student performance was not significantly affected.

Richards, H. (2022, August), Comparing the Effects of In-Person and Remote Learning on Student Performance in an Undergraduate Introductory Statics and Mechanics of Materials Course Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41446

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