CREATING A LEARNING COMMUNITY AND BUILDING ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE ENGINEERING COURSES USING ACTIVE LEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND EDTECH TOOLS

Abstract

Research widely agrees that student engagement can have positive impacts on student learning and achievement. Many institutions have adopted best practices designed to enhance engagement in the classroom in response to the growing research that supports these instructional best practices. Similarly, as online learning trends soar, universities are also beginning to explore what engagement means for the online learning community. Active learning has been translated to the digital platform, but with asynchronous sessions and activities, many wonder if substantial engagement and student achievement are possible to the same degree as they can be in face-to-face courses. In an attempt to begin addressing this question, this article examines how one engineering faculty member shifted his face-to-face course to a hybrid format while incorporating the same degree of active learning and engagement practices that were present in the ground format. This article will discuss how the course was shifted, what impacts were present for students, and the facultyʼs reflection on how the shift impacted his craft.