An observational study of engineering online education during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Overview

Paper Summary

Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

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Paper Summary

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Zoom Fatigue is Real: Engineering Students Struggle with Online Learning, But There's Hope!

Engineering students and faculty at a large, diverse university faced logistical, technical, and learning/teaching challenges during the abrupt shift to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key challenges for students included difficulty maintaining focus, Zoom fatigue, social disconnection, and lack of clear guidance, while faculty struggled with access to technology, online assessment methods, and providing hands-on training. Practical recommendations for improvement, including better utilization of learning management systems, alternative assessment strategies, and enhanced communication, were proposed.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified. The authors acknowledge partial funding from CSULB but declare no competing interests.

Identified Weaknesses

Limited Timeframe

The study was conducted during the initial phase of the pandemic (Spring 2020), and experiences and perceptions might have been influenced by the novelty and urgency of the situation. Findings may not be generalizable to later stages of the pandemic or post-pandemic online learning.

Low Student Response Rate

The student survey had a low response rate (12%), which could introduce participation bias and limit the generalizability of the findings.

Lack of Demographic Analysis

While the study acknowledges potential disparities among underrepresented groups, it does not analyze these groups separately, missing an opportunity to explore specific challenges faced by these students.

Lack of Evaluation and Comparison

The study doesn't assess the effectiveness of the proposed interventions or compare different assessment methods, limiting the practical implications for improving online engineering education.

Rating Explanation

This observational study provides valuable insights into the challenges of transitioning to online engineering education during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the methodology has limitations (low student response rate, limited timeframe, and lack of in-depth demographic analysis), the findings are relevant and the proposed interventions are practical. The lack of evaluation of these interventions prevents a higher rating.

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