IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i21p11527-d670690.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reflections throughout the COVID-19 Lockdown: What Do I Need for Successful Learning of Engineering?

Author

Listed:
  • Víctor Revilla-Cuesta

    (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain)

  • Marta Skaf

    (Department of Construction, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain)

  • Milagros Navarro-González

    (Department of Chemistry, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain)

  • Vanesa Ortega-López

    (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain)

Abstract

The intention of this study was to identify the elements that engineering students consider fundamental for successful learning on engineering courses. The aim was to provide generic guidelines suitable for any engineering course with which the teaching may be adapted in the light of comments from students, while student learning improves. The abrupt transition from face-to-face to asynchronous online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic prompted reflection among students on both teaching methods. Students were invited to evaluate each method through a survey of open-ended questions, identifying useful elements for their learning. The survey was repeated over nine weeks, to obtain the views of students after they had accepted the change and had critically analyzed how to improve online teaching. A cross-coded qualitative and mixed (word counting) analysis showed that the explanation of engineering concepts should be organized, hierarchical, repetitive, and exemplified. Furthermore, the teacher should link all the activities and projects to the concepts explained and quickly solve any doubts that they raised. As a consequence of the online teaching resulting from COVID-19, the need of independent student learning and peer support was also very evident. Teaching functions are essential on engineering courses, as teachers have to explain the overall concepts carefully, identify the key concepts, and demonstrate their industrial and professional applications. Furthermore, teaching methodologies that balance these aspects with autonomy and peer support for learning on engineering courses should be promoted.

Suggested Citation

  • Víctor Revilla-Cuesta & Marta Skaf & Milagros Navarro-González & Vanesa Ortega-López, 2021. "Reflections throughout the COVID-19 Lockdown: What Do I Need for Successful Learning of Engineering?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-24, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11527-:d:670690
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11527/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11527/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Víctor Revilla-Cuesta & Marta Skaf & Juan Manuel Varona & Vanesa Ortega-López, 2021. "The Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Social Impact on Education: Were Engineering Teachers Ready to Teach Online?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-23, February.
    2. Jan Wilke & Lisa Mohr & Adam S. Tenforde & Pascal Edouard & Chiara Fossati & Marcela González-Gross & Celso Sanchez Ramirez & Fernando Laiño & Benedict Tan & Julian David Pillay & Fabio Pigozzi & Davi, 2020. "Restrictercise! Preferences Regarding Digital Home Training Programs during Confinements Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-7, September.
    3. Maria-Crina Radu & Carol Schnakovszky & Eugen Herghelegiu & Vlad-Andrei Ciubotariu & Ion Cristea, 2020. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Educational Process: A Student Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Mostafa Seifan & Oluwaseun Deborah Dada & Aydin Berenjian, 2020. "The Effect of Real and Virtual Construction Field Trips on Students’ Perception and Career Aspiration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-14, February.
    5. Sardar S. Shareef & Guita Farivarsadri, 2020. "An Innovative Framework for Teaching/Learning Technical Courses in Architectural Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Ion Ovidiu Panisoara & Iulia Lazar & Georgeta Panisoara & Ruxandra Chirca & Anca Simona Ursu, 2020. "Motivation and Continuance Intention towards Online Instruction among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effect of Burnout and Technostress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-28, October.
    7. Evelien Opdecam & Patricia Everaert, 2018. "Seven disagreements about cooperative learning," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 223-233, May.
    8. Eduard Edelhauser & Lucian Lupu-Dima, 2021. "One Year of Online Education in COVID-19 Age, a Challenge for the Romanian Education System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-32, July.
    9. Gaeta, Giuseppe, 2020. "Social distancing versus early detection and contacts tracing in epidemic management," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    10. Antonio Jesús Ramos-Morcillo & César Leal-Costa & José Enrique Moral-García & María Ruzafa-Martínez, 2020. "Experiences of Nursing Students during the Abrupt Change from Face-to-Face to e-Learning Education during the First Month of Confinement Due to COVID-19 in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Eduard Edelhauser & Lucian Lupu-Dima, 2020. "Is Romania Prepared for eLearning during the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-30, July.
    12. Víctor Revilla-Cuesta & Marta Skaf & Juan Manuel Manso & Vanesa Ortega-López, 2020. "Student Perceptions of Formative Assessment and Cooperative Work on a Technical Engineering Course," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    13. Mariano Jiménez & Luis Romero & Jon Fernández & María del Mar Espinosa & Manuel Domínguez, 2020. "Application of Lean 6s Methodology in an Engineering Education Environment during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-23, December.
    14. Sheela Sundarasen & Karuthan Chinna & Kamilah Kamaludin & Mohammad Nurunnabi & Gul Mohammad Baloch & Heba Bakr Khoshaim & Syed Far Abid Hossain & Areej Sukayt, 2020. "Psychological Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown among University Students in Malaysia: Implications and Policy Recommendations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-13, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Víctor Revilla-Cuesta & Marta Skaf & Juan Manuel Varona & Vanesa Ortega-López, 2021. "The Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Social Impact on Education: Were Engineering Teachers Ready to Teach Online?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-23, February.
    2. Eduard Edelhauser & Lucian Lupu-Dima, 2021. "One Year of Online Education in COVID-19 Age, a Challenge for the Romanian Education System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-32, July.
    3. Víctor Revilla-Cuesta & Marta Skaf & Juan Manuel Manso & Vanesa Ortega-López, 2020. "Student Perceptions of Formative Assessment and Cooperative Work on a Technical Engineering Course," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Hiromi Kawasaki & Satoko Yamasaki & Yuko Masuoka & Mika Iwasa & Susumu Fukita & Ryota Matsuyama, 2021. "Remote Teaching Due to COVID-19: An Exploration of Its Effectiveness and Issues," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-16, March.
    5. Sónia Rolland Sobral & Natacha Jesus-Silva & Abílio Cardoso & Fernando Moreira, 2021. "EU27 Higher Education Institutions and COVID-19, Year 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Johanna Andrea Navarro-Espinosa & Manuel Vaquero-Abellán & Alberto-Jesús Perea-Moreno & Gerardo Pedrós-Pérez & Pilar Aparicio-Martínez & Maria Pilar Martínez-Jiménez, 2021. "The Influence of Technology on Mental Well-Being of STEM Teachers at University Level: COVID-19 as a Stressor," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-23, September.
    7. Jacqueline Ruth & Steffen Willwacher & Oliver Korn, 2022. "Acceptance of Digital Sports: A Study Showing the Rising Acceptance of Digital Health Activities Due to the SARS-CoV-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Fumiya Tanji & Yuki Kodama, 2021. "Prevalence of Psychological Distress and Associated Factors in Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-10, October.
    9. Andreea Barbu & Mirona Ana Maria Popescu & Georgiana Moiceanu, 2022. "Perspective of Teachers and Students towards the Education Process during COVID-19 in Romanian Universities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-21, March.
    10. Soledad Domene-Martos & Margarita Rodríguez-Gallego & David Caldevilla-Domínguez & Almudena Barrientos-Báez, 2021. "The Use of Digital Portfolio in Higher Education before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Jongseok Ahn, 2020. "Unequal Loneliness in the Digitalized Classroom: Two Loneliness Effects of School Computers and Lessons for Sustainable Education in the E-Learning Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-20, September.
    12. Roman, Monica & Plopeanu, Aurelian-Petruș, 2021. "The effectiveness of the emergency eLearning during COVID-19 pandemic. The case of higher education in economics in Romania," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    13. Tabea Bork-Hüffer & Vanessa Kulcar & Ferdinand Brielmair & Andrea Markl & Daniel Marian Immer & Barbara Juen & Maria Hildegard Walter & Katja Kaufmann, 2021. "University Students’ Perception, Evaluation, and Spaces of Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: What Can We Learn for Post-Pandemic Educational Futures?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.
    14. Luai Al-Labadi & Jinyoung Hur & Kyuson Lim & Nitya Srivastava, 2023. "Assessing Financial Well-being of Undergraduate University Students during COVID-19 Pandemic," Higher Education Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, February.
    15. Caro Wolfner & Corilyn Ott & Kalani Upshaw & Angela Stowe & Lisa Schwiebert & Robin Gaines Lanzi, 2023. "Coping Strategies and Help-Seeking Behaviors of College Students and Postdoctoral Fellows with Disabilities or Pre-Existing Conditions during COVID-19," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-25, February.
    16. Bentham Liang Sen Teh & Jin Kiat Ang & Eugene Boon Yau Koh & Nicholas Tze Ping Pang, 2023. "Psychological Resilience and Coping Strategies with Anxiety among Malaysian Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, January.
    17. Hsiu-Ju Jen & Kuei-Ru Chou & Ching-Yi Chang, 2022. "Fostering Nursing Staff Competence in Personal Protective Equipment Education during COVID-19: A Mobile-Video Online Learning Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-10, July.
    18. Mădălin-Dorin Pop & Adrian Pavel Pugna & Vladimir-Ioan Crețu & Sabina Alina Potra, 2022. "Two Years of Hybrid Education in Romania: A Comparative Overview of the Students’ Expectations for the Online Educational Platforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-27, October.
    19. Daniela Roxana Matasariu & Ludmila Lozneanu & Iuliana Elena Bujor & Alexandra Elena Cristofor & Cristina Elena Mandici & Marcel Alexandru Găină & Cristinel Ștefănescu & Vasile Lucian Boiculese & Ioana, 2023. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Quality Education of the Medical Young Generation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-19, February.
    20. Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez & Francisco Caravaca-Sánchez & Juan Sebastián Fernández-Prados, 2021. "COVID-19 Fear, Resilience, Social Support, Anxiety, and Suicide among College Students in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-14, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11527-:d:670690. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.