THE ROLE OF ONLINE INSTRUCTION IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AN INTERVIEW WITH WSU ENGINEERING FACULTY BY YANG ZHAO
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he widespread use of computers and the internet have made distance learning and online education easier and more accessible. Enrollment in online education courses increased rapidly all over the world since 2000. Even though growth rates are slowing, enrollment for online courses still increases with the advance in technology. So what are the current state of and trends in online education and how effective is the online education with the continuous technology advancement? There are many surveys and studies that monitor and assess the status and effectiveness of online education. The Babson Survey Research Group (I.E. Allen and J. Seaman, Online Report Card–Tracking Online Education in the United States) has produced an annual report since 2002. Among many results of the latest survey report, faculty’s perceptions of online education have not improved in the past decade. Only 29.1 percent of chief academic officers said in 2015 that they believe their faculty view online learning as legitimate and valuable. On the other hand, studies also show that effectiveness of online learning varies across academic subject areas, as well as types of students. (e.g., D. Xu and S. Jaggars, “Performance Gaps Between Online and Face-to-Face Courses: Differences Across Types of Students and Academic Subject Areas” Journal of Higher Education, vol. 85, no. 5., 2014, pp. 633-659). Based on these results, it is interesting to see how faculty of the engineering school at an urban university view the role of online instruction in engineering education, as well as their perceptions of student learning. For this article I interviewed 20 faculty members in the College of Engineering at Wayne State University and asked their opinions on the role of 22 | TechCentury | WINTER 2016
online instruction in the current and future engineering education. Specifically, they were asked three questions, “Is the classroom becoming obsolete?”, “Will the online education rule?”, and “What will engineering and science education look like 20 years from now?”. The answers to these questions are summarized as follows.
THE CLASSROOM WILL NOT BE OBSOLETE
All 20 faculty members believe that the classroom for face-to-face education will not go away. Most faculty cite student/instructor interactions as the main reason for the existence of classrooms. Interactions initiated in the classroom normally continue outside of the classroom. These interactions not only help students in the learning of course content, but also allow instructors to guide and motivate students for their success in college career and beyond. Students get to know professors better in a classroom setting and many discussions occur before, during, and after class. Online courses, on the other hand, cannot effectively provide these kinds of interactions. Many faculty point out that motivating students is a critical part of their teaching job in an educational environment that promotes learning and personal development. This is especially important for those students who do not have sufficient math and science backgrounds to complete their engineering degrees. The best way to motivate these students are with face-to-face interactions with professors, advisors, and other campus offices. Online education, on the other hand, requires students to be self-motivated and cannot effectively help those students when they face particular academic challenges. The classroom also provides interactions among student peers for better academic and social integration. It is easier for students in the classroom setting to form or join a group study session. Group sessions provide students with the opportunity to come together, growing their professional connections and gaining a sense of teamwork. Leadership skills are developed and students can motivate and encourage each other to succeed. While all believe that the classroom is here to stay, a few faculty point out that future classrooms will integrate the latest technologies for better course content delivery and more flexible student/instructor interactions.