Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Online Team and Activity-based Introduction to Engineering Course

Abstract

As the popularity of online education in engineering increases, project-and team-based classes taught in classrooms must be converted into equivalent online versions. In order to maintain equivalency, content and ABET outcomes must be considered. This is especially difficult when on-ground classes are based on hands-on team activities and projects. The scalability of courses also must be considered due to the growing demand for engineering courses in the online environment. This paper will discuss the creation process, implementation and evaluation of an online Introduction to Engineering course adapted from a largely team-and lab-based on-ground version. The epistemic framework and structure of the course will be discussed, focusing on its teaming and hands-on nature. Specifically, the design and implementation of teamwork throughout the course will be described, with a focus on the final team project, which consists of members designing, building, and testing musical instruments amid constraints that limit their designs based on the designs of other team members.The first two offerings of this 7.5-week course took place during Fall 2013 with more than 110 students, most of whom were non-traditional students working in an engineering-related industry. Since then, another ~400 non-traditional students took this online course in the following semesters. The course's effectiveness and students' perceptions of the course and their teaming experience will be addressed based on data collected from project deliverables and discussion boards from the first two offerings. Recommendations for similar courses and strategies that can be used to scale this team and activity-based course while maintaining course quality, effectiveness, and student learning experience will also be addressed.

Moving a Team-Based Freshmen Biomedical Engineering and Design Course Online

“…Adding a hands-on component in an online design course is an important element for student satisfaction. 8 This one-credit spring course will be offered next fall (2020) as a two-credit online course, which will hopefully allow some in-person design work. We have arranged for thirty upperclassmen to serve as lab managers next fall, at least one per team of five freshmen, to provide one-on-one guidance for each of the assignments.…”

Development and Implementation of a MOOC Introduction to Engineering Course

“…During the end of the Spring 2017 semester and throughout the Summer 2017 session, a team of instructional designers and faculty members developed this course. The university already offered an online Introduction to Engineering course that was offered as part of the online engineering degree programs offered at Arizona State University [12], but that course assumes a structure that necessitates a capped class size and the verified identity of the students and hence was not appropriate for the MOOC environment. That existing online course did, however, provide insight into how to develop online projects and strategies to help instructors maximize their impact without over-burdening them.…”