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Understanding the Effectiveness of Online Engineering Education in the Time of COVID-19

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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

Educational Research and Methods (ERM) Division Poster Session

Page Count

14

DOI

10.18260/1-2--40627

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/40627

Download Count

265

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Paper Authors

biography

Il-Seop Shin Western Illinois University

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Dr. Shin is an associate professor of Engineering at Western Illinois University, Quad Cities. He earned his doctoral & master’s degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His main research interests are development of mechatronic systems using biomechanics and implementation of intelligent systems for multidisciplinary applications.

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biography

Eun Go Western Illinois University

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Dr. Eun Go is an associate professor in the department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University. She earned her doctoral degree in Mass Communications from the Pennsylvania State University and her master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida. Her research areas focus on social and psychological effects of new media technologies.

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Abstract

This research paper describes a study of engineering students’ perceptions of online classes in the time of COVID-19. In the engineering field, online classes were relatively uncommon prior to the pandemic due to the emphasis on field practice. The pandemic rapidly changed education in general to make online classes the norm—not as a means of assisting face-to-face classes but rather replacing them. The online mode of learning in engineering education holds tremendous promise for traditional and non-traditional students who wish to major in engineering. Therefore, this study explored how students evaluate online engineering classes to effectively implement them during the ongoing pandemic as well as in the post-pandemic era. Drawing from the SERVQUAL model, this paper determines which factors contributed to students’ evaluation of the quality of online engineering classes and their perceptions of the benefits of such classes. Ultimately, 186 engineering students participated in this study. The results show that perceived suitability of the online format for teaching engineering courses was the strongest determinant of perceptions toward the quality and benefits of online engineering classes. In addition, how much the instructor knows about the course content and whether useful and accurate information is provided using appropriate multimedia on an e-learning site determine the perceived quality of online classes for students. The students also believed that instructors who showed more empathy generated more benefits for the class. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed in this paper.

Shin, I., & Go, E. (2022, August), Understanding the Effectiveness of Online Engineering Education in the Time of COVID-19 Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40627

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