Exploring Trends in Online Learning

With the rapid pace of technological advancements and the development of next-gen intelligence, online and distance learning are becoming more accessible and user-friendly than ever. Through my research into online engineering education at Dartmouth College, I’ve put together some key best practices that are really pushing for the effectiveness and accessibility in online engineering education. Whether you’re an educator or a student, these insights could reshape the way you think about learning engineering online.

Offer Support Tips and Keep Them Clear and Accessible

Diving into online learning can feel a bit daunting, especially for those new to this mode of education. That's why providing clear and accessible support tips is crucial. Just like Stanford Online’s approach, these tips can cultivate a psychologically safe environment where students can truly thrive. Check out the tips from Stanford online: Keep an open mind, Create space to learn, Manage your time effectively, Actively engage with the course materials, Have a plan for technology troubleshooting, Ask for assistance!

Encourage Peer Collaboration and Peer Evaluation

Creating opportunities for peer collaboration and evaluation can significantly enhance the online learning experience. When students engage in self-assessment, they evaluate their progress on projects. The Moodle workshop module, for instance, offers a structured approach to peer review with its five phases: setup, submission, assessment, grading evaluation, and closure. Research also shows that using various assessment types—like self-assessment, peer-assessment, and instructor assessments—yields different results, highlighting the importance of incorporating diverse evaluation methods for fairness and comprehensiveness[1].

Another innovative approach is PASS (Peer-Assisted Study Sessions), where experienced student leaders guide their peers through challenging topics. In an online environment, these could translate to dedicated forums or chat groups where students collaborate on assignments and discuss material, fostering a sense of community and mutual support[2]. Organizing students into small task-oriented groups encourages social learning and strengthens peer relationships.

Inspiration: check out the digital gallery from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where students from the LDIT program showcase their incredible projects.

Enhance Asynchronous Lectures with Interactive Elements

Incorporating interactive components such as quizzes, polls, and discussion prompts within asynchronous lectures can significantly boost student engagement and facilitate deeper knowledge construction. For example, platforms like Panopto enable instructors to integrate text-based live discussions (with a 40-second delay) or implement in-video quizzes. These quizzes can be a powerful tool for assessing student comprehension in real-time and can seamlessly tie their results to the Canvas Gradebook. Additionally, embedding a real-time discussion board like Padlet in Canvas is another strategy for fostering dialogue among students. By integrating these interactive elements, instructors can create a more engaging and effective asynchronous learning environment.

Improve Accessibility of Virtual Labs

Virtual labs are crucial in online engineering education but they often present challenges. Issues like high latency, heavy computer demands, limited access times, and restricted concurrent usage can impede effectiveness. These problems, combined with students' unfamiliarity and uncertainty, can affect their self-regulation and engagement[3]. Check out ReadyTech’s latest update identifies eight characteristics of leading virtual IT labs that offer hands-on, scalable training solutions:

1. Scenario-Based Content That Mirrors Real-World Tasks

2. Interactive Virtual Workspaces That Reinforce Skills

3. Built-In Collaboration Tools for Team Learning

4. Mobile-Friendly and Accessible Anywhere

5. Easy-to-Use and Neurodiverse-Friendly Interfaces

6. High-Quality Voice-Over and Audio Accessibility

7. Real-Time Coaching and Feedback

8. Customization, Cloud Flexibility, and On-Premise Conversion

   
   

Add More Gamification Elements

Enhancing your course with gamification can make learning more engaging and enjoyable. By integrating features like leaderboards, badges, and challenges, you create an interactive environment that encourages active participation. Studies have found that implementing leaderboards in weekly online quizzes can enhance both learner achievement and engagement[4]. Although this may partly stem from the "test effect," it's no harm keeping an eye on the growing body of research on gamification design in engineering education is significant.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the ultimate goal of applying these new trends is to promote diversity, equity, & inclusion in online courses. It's also crucial to keep the focus on a learner-centered design approach while also considering external standards like Quality Matters and SUNY OSCQR. By doing so, we can create an online learning environment that truly supports and uplifts every student.

Reference

[1] Elena Arce, Andrés Suárez-García, José Antonio López-Vázquez, María Isabel Fernández-Ibáñez, Design Sprint: Enhancing STEAM and engineering education through agile prototyping and testing ideas, Thinking Skills and Creativity, Volume 44, 2022, 101039, ISSN 1871-1871, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101039.

[2]Mohammad Zadeh, M., Prendergast, L. J., Tew, J. D., & Beneroso-Vallejo, D. (2024). Conceptualising engineering student perceptions of synchronous and asynchronous online learning. European Journal of Engineering Education, 49(1), 94-112.

[3]L. Rassudov and A. Korunets, "Virtual Labs: an Effective Engineering Education Tool for Remote Learning and not only," 2022 29th International Workshop on Electric Drives: Advances in Power Electronics for Electric Drives (IWED), Moscow, Russian Federation, 2022, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/IWED54598.2022.9722375.

[4] Cigdem, H., Ozturk, M., Karabacak, Y. et al. Unlocking student engagement and achievement: The impact of leaderboard gamification in online formative assessment for engineering education. Educ Inf Technol 29, 24835–24860 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12845-2