Online Learning in Engineering
Five Tips on How I Transitioned In-person Lecture and Lab Courses for Virtual Delivery
Throughout the United States, from grade school to college, the entire 2020–21 academic year was held online and/or in hybrid modality. Not unlike several of my colleagues, I had never taught an online course. Although digital practices — such as e-textbooks, multimedia software, and learning portals — were already part of my normal teaching strategy, the dramatic shift in expectation compelled me to evaluate traditional teaching practices in a new light.
The transition learning curve was steep, to say the least, but the desire to support student success overrode my fears of improving my teaching practices.
Fortunately, the institution at which I work was intuitive enough to provide opportunities to strengthen and expand my skill set by offering instructional design workshops and support. As with any skill, mastery takes patience and practice, but continued implementation can lead to higher levels of comfort and confidence.
My professional background features elements of civil/environmental engineering, technical writing, and engineering sustainability. This portfolio of skills and qualifications, coupled with a passion for education, has inspired me to teach a variety of lecture and lab courses at both the graduate and the undergraduate levels.
Included below are specific practices, grouped into five clusters, on how to construct a course translation plan that is student-centered, effective, and resilient. Note that the built-in flexibility makes it adaptable to all instructional modalities.
These tips are universal and could apply as easily to non-STEM instruction as they do to STEM. Lecture and lab instructors alike can harness them. Undergraduate and graduate courses can adopt them as well.
Below is the list and description of the five clusters:
- Invest in an iPad
- Implement Active Learning Strategies
- Use Canvas to the Max
- Get Comfortable Using Zoom
- Communicate Communicate Communicate
