Towards blended learning: Stakeholders’ perspectives on a project-based integrated curriculum in ICT engineering education

Abstract

It is increasingly vital, in the current era of ever-expanding remote work and learning, to develop blended methods for engineering education. This research aims to develop a blended, project-based information and communication technology (ICT) education model, conceptualizing a digital ecosystem based on stakeholders’ experiences and expectations. The article describes the first phase of the first cycle of the design-based research, analysis and exploration. Semi-structured interviews and online surveys were used to gather stakeholders’ – i.e. students’ (N = 27), instructors’ (N = 15) and industry representatives’ (N = 3) – thoughts and expectations about the current holistic integrated and project-based curriculum, on which little academic literature exists. The article gathers design principles for a broader intervention through which ICT education is transferred into blended learning. Study participants included third-year ICT engineering education students and instructors at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences, along with local industry representatives. The vast majority of the students described the integrated curriculum and project-based learning approach as a motivating pedagogical model. The participation of industry representatives was perceived as motivational to students. Working-life cooperation with companies should thus be encouraged and further developed in higher education curricula. The students’ positive attitudes towards integrated project-based learning may inspire higher education institutions to apply this framework.

Blended Learning as a Developmental Model Strategy of Teaching and Learning in Islamic Universities in Indonesia

“…Moreover, even though the percentage of frutiful offline session comes to be the highest one, positive attitudes are also conveyed towards all of the aspects interviewed to the students. Positive attitudes towards the implication of blended learning also reveal in other studies done by Mielikäinen (2021) where project-based information combined in the application of blended learning in Finland context reveal to positive attitudes from students. Positive students' attitudes also obtained from the research conducted by Perera et al (2020) where students have extremely positive attitudes towards the use of colaborative blended learning and co-lecturing.…”

Innovative design and delivery of the business capstone course

“…Techniques of interview, survey, casual conversation, conference, and marketing content analysis have all been reported by stakeholders as helping to influence the direction of our efforts, creating a similar dynamic to those in other countries and in related subjects (Fagrell et al. , 2020; Mielikäinen, 2022). Our goal in the course and as a program should be to meet -- and, ideally, exceed -- all reasonable stakeholder expectations.…”

“…An essential element in managing these educational change processes is involvement of relevant stakeholders in the design/redesign of our program overall and specifically in the capstone course, since it is imperative that all commit to understanding and responding to stakeholder expectations. Techniques of interview, survey, casual conversation, conference, and marketing content analysis have all been reported by stakeholders as helping to influence the direction of our efforts, creating a similar dynamic to those in other countries and in related subjects (Fagrell et al, 2020;Mielik€ ainen, 2022). Our goal in the course and as a program should be to meetand, ideally, exceedall reasonable stakeholder expectations.…”

Blended Learning Based Project In Electronics Engineering Education Courses: A Learning Innovation after the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Project-based learning is no exception in electronics engineering education, it really helps students to learn actively so as to provide a good learning experience and indirectly have an impact on improving and mastering student competencies [34]. Project learning is strongly supported by various technologies, features and applications that support blended learning [35], such as Google Docs, Learning Management System, and video meeting applications. The blended learning pattern applied is supportive to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of learning.…”

“…Project-based learning has become a strategy for teaching design in many engineering programs. So that blended learning based projects in engineering education is an alternative learning during and after the Covid-19 pandemic [15]- [17].…”