Virtual vs. In-Person Learning: A Study on Student Motivation, Experience, and Perception in a First-Year Introduction to Engineering Course

This complete evidence-based practice paper examines virtual and in-person student's situational motivation responses as well as their experience and perception of virtual and in-person learning in a freshman Introduction to Engineering course. During the Fall semester of 2020, the Introduction to Engineering course was offered in a synchronous hybrid mode. While all lectures were delivered through Zoom video conferencing software, students had the choice to join labs either virtually or in-person. Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) survey, an instrument to measure four types of motivation (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation and amotivation) based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), was administered weekly to students enrolled in three sections of the course during a nine-week project period. A Basic Needs Satisfaction Scale survey was given at the end of the semester, which measures the satisfaction of three fundamental psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence. An additional set of survey questions on student's experience and perception of virtual and in-person learning was also given at the end of the semester. Survey results reveal that although no significant difference is observed between virtual and in-person students' perceived basic needs satisfaction, in-person learners show slightly higher motivation compared to virtual learners, and students overwhelmingly prefer in-person over virtual learning.