Transition from the F2F to the Online Teaching Method During Emergency Status (Engineering Emergency Remote Learning)

In this work, a systematic study was conducted to measure the degree of success of the emergency transition of teaching from face-to-face (f2f) to entirely online for several engineering courses due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Hands-on/lab activities were treated differently to accommodate the course requirements and available technology. The original and altered course structures, evaluation, and assessment tools were listed and discussed from the alignments with the required ABET learning outcomes. Several digital resources were used to provide direct and indirect learning tools for each course. An anonymous pre-change survey had been used to get immediate feedback and connection with students at a point when no one had a clear idea where the pandemic was heading. These fast connection channels helped the instructor understand the fears and challenges from the students' perspective. An anonymous post-course survey was implemented to receive in-depth and practical feedback about student experiences and the degree of success of implementing the adopted changes. The degree of success varied with the course type and the course level. Most students showed some reservations against the changes and considered the f2f method to be better than the online method. Different levels of satisfaction were demonstrated for the effectiveness of the implemented changes and the technology used. Also, computer communication technology and the availability of sufficient internet bandwidth were adequate. The students' feedback shows the importance of having direct interaction with the instructor affected by their experiences with the online portion of the semester. In conclusion, education is strongly dependent on a trust-building process between the instructor and the learners. The students can follow up and are involved positively in any modification of class format or methodology if they believe in their coach's (instructor's) competency.