Remote Teaching and Learning in Applied Engineering: A Post-Pandemic Perspective

TL;DR

This paper examines the rapid shift to remote engineering education during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing challenges faced, solutions implemented, and how these changes may modernize future teaching practices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of remote teaching models, challenges, and innovative solutions in applied engineering education post-pandemic.

Findings

Various remote teaching models were adopted during the pandemic.

Hands-on learning was maintained through creative remote solutions.

Pandemic-driven changes are likely to modernize engineering education.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the educational sector. Faced with this life-threatening pandemic, educators had to swiftly pivot to an alternate form of course delivery without severely impacting the quality of the educational experience. Following the transition to online learning, educators had to grapple with a host of challenges. With interrupted face-to-face delivery, limited access to state-of-the-art labs, barriers with educational technologies, challenges of academic integrity, and obstacles with remote teamwork and student participation, creative solutions were urgently needed. In this chapter, we provide a rationale for a variety of course delivery models at different stages of the pandemic and highlight the approaches we took to overcome some of the pressing challenges of remote education. We also discuss how we ensured that hands-on learning remains an integral part of engineering curricula, and we argue that some of the applied changes during the pandemic will likely serve as a catalyst for modernizing education.