E-learning in Engineering Education: Challenges and Solutions

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2020) | Viewed by 18188

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
Interests: information theory; coding techniques; powerline communications; visible light communications; smart grid; energy demand management; renewable energy; wireless sensor networks; reverse engineering and engineering education.
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Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 outbreak has moved traditional education to the online one. Although this move, the e-learning, is regarded as a positive development to avoiding total or partial interruption of studies, educators are facing many challenges to keep the standard of education similar to what it used to with the traditional educational system. Engineering education in one of the most educational system facing challenges imposed by the COVID-19 situation. Following the closing of engineering faculties, educators are struggling to find proficient ways to conduct properly engineering lessons and laboratories online. More specifically, it is difficult to certify that online learning can equip our future engineering graduates with the required and necessary skills, described below, to fit later on professionally in the industry.

  1. Engineering problem solving, which means being able to effectively address a variety of problems, including open-ended problems, using the particular skills engendered in electrical and electronic engineering, and, if necessary, being able to extend these skills to achieve appropriate solutions creatively and innovatively;
  1. Application of fundamental and specialist knowledge, i.e., applying knowledge of mathematics and the fundamentals of science and engineering to analyze and to design systems according to given specifications employing an appropriate mixture of acquired skills;
  1. Engineering design, i.e., interpreting and analyzing a problem in order to design and apply appropriate design tools and processes either individually, or in support of other engineers, and to apply appropriate techniques for the acquisition and interpretation of data, exercise sound judgement and to communicate pertinent aspects of the work, or supply the appropriate documentation related to this work;
  1. Investigations, experiments and data analysis, i.e., designing and applying a process to meet experimental needs, to analyze and interpret the acquired data and present the results with conclusions in such a way that it is clear and useful to others;
  1. Engineering methods, skills and tools, including information technology, i.e., designing, modeling, and simulating systems and associated software where applicable according to specific needs, with due consideration of economics, business management, health and safety issues and ecology, either individually, or as a member of a team;
  1. Professional and technical communication, i.e., communicating effectively across a broad spectrum of society, from superiors to lay people, in a clear and concise manner, either orally or in written or in other appropriate format;
  1. Impact of engineering activity on society and the environment, i.e., being conscious of the impact of engineering in general on society and the environment, and the role of electrical and electronic technologies in shaping the services, processes and products, which can be provided for the benefit of that society and strive to reduce detrimental impacts on the environment;
  1. Individual, team, and multidisciplinary working, i.e., working individually or in a team across disciplinary boundaries to apply electrical and electronic techniques to a variety of diverse projects, and to perform a leadership role either at the project or administrative level as required;
  1. Independent learning ability, i.e., being able, In the rapidly changing and expanding field of electrical and electronic engineering, to equip themselves with the necessary skills to keep abreast of the field and understanding the need to do so, and thus also being able to participate in the activities of professional organizations and continued professional development to better serve societal needs in a professional manner;
  1. Engineering professionalism, i.e., being aware of the demands and expectations of the engineering profession in general, and electrical and electronic engineering in particular, as this relates to behavior, knowing theirlimits of competence, making ethical decisions, and principles of leadership. 

In this Special Issue, we are particularly interested in authors identifying and reporting research on the critical issue of the impact of online teaching and learning on engineering education quality. For this Special Issue to be published in 2020, we invite manuscripts to be submitted for review on or before 15 November 2020. Manuscripts will be subject to the process of blind peer review coordinated by the Special Issue Guest Editor. If ten papers or more are published, the Special Issue will be made into a digital book and printed out on demand.

Prof. Dr. Eng. Khmaies Ouahada
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Remote teaching
  • Delivery of laboratories and workshops online
  • Online assessments
  • Engineering project supervision
  • Student–lecturer communication
  • Students engagement
  • Academic integrity and ethics
  • Quality assurance of engineering standards
  • Technical challenges

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1838 KiB  
Article
Project-Based Teaching of the Topic “Energy Sources” in Physics via Integrated e-Learning—Pedagogical Research in the 9th Grade at Two Primary Schools in Slovakia
by Žaneta Gerhátová, Peter Perichta and Marián Palcut
Educ. Sci. 2020, 10(12), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10120371 - 08 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3261
Abstract
This work presents the results of two-year-long pedagogical research, the aim of which was to demonstrate the applicability of the usage of a new strategy in education—Integrated e-Learning (INTe-L)—through its introduction into project-based physics teaching in Slovakia. The INTe-L strategy is built around [...] Read more.
This work presents the results of two-year-long pedagogical research, the aim of which was to demonstrate the applicability of the usage of a new strategy in education—Integrated e-Learning (INTe-L)—through its introduction into project-based physics teaching in Slovakia. The INTe-L strategy is built around the role of experiments and interactive simulations in knowledge acquisition and on the possibility of integrating scientific methods in education. The elements of INTe-L are the following: (a) real on-site and real remote experiments, (b) interactive virtual experiments (e-simulations) and (c) educational e-materials. The primary objective of our study was to determine the suitability of project-based teaching with INTe-L elements for the topic “Energy Sources”. The research was based on the following hypothesis: project-based teaching via INTe-L of the topic “Energy Sources” in physics is more effective than the traditional (instructionist) way of teaching. To verify the hypothesis, we performed a pedagogical experiment on a sample of 155 respondents in the 9th grade at two primary schools in Slovakia. The pupils were divided into two working groups: an experimental group (EG) of 85 pupils and a control group (CG) of 70 pupils. The pupils with worse grades were included in the EG. To get relevant feedback, pre-test and post-test studies and an interview were developed and applied. The results attained in both groups were statistically processed, evaluated and subsequently compared. A two-phase test with dispersion equality proved that differences in the pre-test scores in the EG and CG were not statistically significant. The differences in the final didactic test (post-test) results achieved by the EG and CG, on the other hand, were statistically significant and better scores in the EG were obtained. A positive change of pupils’ attitude in the EG towards physics after the execution of our project-based teaching was noted. The evaluation of the results attained by the pupils proved that the introduction of project-based teaching via INTe-L was an effective strategy to improve Physics teaching. As such, the implementation of this interactive strategy into the instructional education process at primary schools is recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning in Engineering Education: Challenges and Solutions)
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20 pages, 3825 KiB  
Article
Modified Blended Learning in Engineering Higher Education during the COVID-19 Lockdown—Building Automation Courses Case Study
by Andrzej Ożadowicz
Educ. Sci. 2020, 10(10), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10100292 - 20 Oct 2020
Cited by 96 | Viewed by 13948
Abstract
The blended learning method with its supporting electronic tools is a very well-known approach in academic education. In most of its practical applications, direct face to face contacts between students and the teacher as well as students with each other in groups are [...] Read more.
The blended learning method with its supporting electronic tools is a very well-known approach in academic education. In most of its practical applications, direct face to face contacts between students and the teacher as well as students with each other in groups are important elements in the organization of lectures and classes. This is of particular importance in conducting laboratory classes in teaching process for engineers. However, the COVID-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020 closed schools, universities and completely eliminated the possibility of direct interpersonal contacts. These extraordinary circumstances forced changes in the organization of the teaching process, in particular the introduction of distance learning. Therefore, this paper proposes a modified blended learning method as well as describes a case study on its introduction in the education of building automation engineers at a technical university. A new organizational structure of this modified method is presented, with discussion of tools and methods of active distance learning, introduced during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Finally, some experiences, general reflections along with the identification of the preferred forms of distance learning by students are presented. The future works are briefly described as well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning in Engineering Education: Challenges and Solutions)
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