Work in Progress: Adapting to the changes in the teaching pedagogy post-pandemic in Electrical and Computer Engineering courses

Qudsia Tahmina

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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: Electrical and Computer Engineering Division Poster Session
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--40989
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/40989
Download Count: 323

Paper Authors

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Qudsia Tahmina The Ohio State University at Marion

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Dr. Qudsia Tahmina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research focus is Algorithm development for Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids to enhance speech perception. She worked at a private online institution and has experience with remote teaching and learning tools. She has been involved in outcomes assessment and ABET accreditation for Engineering and Engineering Technology program.

Dr. Tahmina joined The Ohio State University in 2016 and taught first- and second-year engineering courses at the Marion campus. She has developed an interest in engineering education and pedagogy including strategies to enhance student learning, first-year engineering experience and K-12 STEM outreach.

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Abstract

Abstract This Work in Progress Paper presents adaption techniques for teaching second-year Electrical and Computer Engineering courses post-pandemic. Challenges faced by students and faculty will also be presented in this paper along with some guidance and best practices. COVID-19 began impacting education in early 2020 and many land-grant universities were not fully equipped with the tools to offer the best learning experience to students due to lock-down and inability to access the laboratories and teaching equipment. This global pandemic had caused the universities to change their operations and impelled instructors to quickly adapt to online instruction. Many universities began to invest their resources to explore teaching pedagogies that best fit the needs of their students. University’s learning management systems facilitated the delivery of the course content remotely with some minor enhancements. Although engineering courses could easily be revamped to distance learning platforms, there were still some challenges due to the nature of the coursework and assessment of outcomes. Availability of vaccination and university mandates had made it possible to return to the in-person teaching and learning modality. The purpose of this paper is to: a) present some of the challenges faced by the second-year engineering students during the transition to and from distance learning approach, b) share some of the results from the assessment of student attitudes during this transition, and c) share some of the best practices adopted by the instructors during these uncertain times. The curriculum for the two courses covers the fundamental concepts of electrical analog and digital circuits and provides an opportunity for students to explore the applications of circuits in the real world. In a normal learning environment, ECE courses tend to be difficult due to higher expectations for problem-solving, math, and scientific concepts, and adding external factors such as the pandemic adds more complications. The focus of this research work is to study the second-year engineering course and present the challenges associated with the delivery of the course content, teaching engineering concepts and applications in either online or hybrid settings, and communication between instructors and students in the post-pandemic period. This paper also presents an assessment of student attitudes to switching teaching modalities (in-person to online and vice versa) and their performance. With the learning assessment comes the lessons learned and evaluation of teaching strategies that have been investigated by the instructors to facilitate learning during these difficult times. Challenges associated with the course offerings and assessments were observed in the two ECE courses offered at a regional campus of a large research institution. The courses are three-credit-hour and introduce problem-solving, circuit analysis techniques, testing, troubleshooting techniques, and teamwork. Teaching strategies during the post-pandemic setting will include identification and evaluation of several online platforms to support teaching in a hybrid model, restructuring the content, and utilizing alternative methods to assess course goals will be discussed in this paper. This paper provides an opportunity to learn from the unique experience, develop skills to address the continuously changing teaching and learning environment that has evolved as a result of the pandemic, and support students and faculty with a variety of academic needs.

Citation
Format

Tahmina, Q. (2022, August), Work in Progress: Adapting to the changes in the teaching pedagogy post-pandemic in Electrical and Computer Engineering courses Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40989

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Abstract
This Work in Progress Paper presents adaption techniques for teaching second-year Electrical and Computer Engineering courses post-pandemic. Challenges faced by students and faculty will also be presented in this paper along with some guidance and best practices. COVID-19 began impacting education in early 2020 and many land-grant universities were not fully equipped with the tools to offer the best learning experience to students due to lock-down and inability to access the laboratories and teaching equipment. This global pandemic had caused the universities to change their operations and impelled instructors to quickly adapt to online instruction. Many universities began to invest their resources to explore teaching pedagogies that best fit the needs of their students. University’s learning management systems facilitated the delivery of the course content remotely with some minor enhancements. Although engineering courses could easily be revamped to distance learning platforms, there were still some challenges due to the nature of the coursework and assessment of outcomes. Availability of vaccination and university mandates had made it possible to return to the in-person teaching and learning modality. The purpose of this paper is to: a) present some of the challenges faced by the second-year engineering students during the transition to and from distance learning approach, b) share some of the results from the assessment of student attitudes during this transition, and c) share some of the best practices adopted by the instructors during these uncertain times. 
The curriculum for the two courses covers the fundamental concepts of electrical analog and digital circuits and provides an opportunity for students to explore the applications of circuits in the real world. In a normal learning environment, ECE courses tend to be difficult due to higher expectations for problem-solving, math, and scientific concepts, and adding external factors such as the pandemic adds more complications. The focus of this research work is to study the second-year engineering course and present the challenges associated with the delivery of the course content, teaching engineering concepts and applications in either online or hybrid settings, and communication between instructors and students in the post-pandemic period. This paper also presents an assessment of student attitudes to switching teaching modalities (in-person to online and vice versa) and their performance. With the learning assessment comes the lessons learned and evaluation of teaching strategies that have been investigated by the instructors to facilitate learning during these difficult times. 
Challenges associated with the course offerings and assessments were observed in the two ECE courses offered at a regional campus of a large research institution. The courses are three-credit-hour and introduce problem-solving, circuit analysis techniques, testing, troubleshooting techniques, and teamwork. Teaching strategies during the post-pandemic setting will include identification and evaluation of several online platforms to support teaching in a hybrid model, restructuring the content, and utilizing alternative methods to assess course goals will be discussed in this paper. This paper provides an opportunity to learn from the unique experience, develop skills to address the continuously changing teaching and learning environment that has evolved as a result of the pandemic, and support students and faculty with a variety of academic needs.  

AU  - Qudsia Tahmina
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work in Progress: Adapting to the changes in the teaching pedagogy post-pandemic in Electrical and Computer Engineering courses
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/40989
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--40989
ER  -