Enhancing learning for distance students in an Undergraduate engineering course through real-time web-conferencing

On-line education in engineering has attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. One of the difficulties faced in an on-line engineering program is how to ensure effective communication between lecturers and students, and among the students themselves.Techniques common ten years ago such as email, lecture notes posted to websites, and telephone conversations, are now seen as archaic when compared with opportunities offered by more modern communication technologies, such as real-time web-conferencing.We present our efforts to use the web-conferencing software Elluminate-Live! for delivering tutorials, discussion classes, and even laboratory practicals to groups of students studying engineering off-campus, including students posted overseas. Examples are given from two disciplines. We then compare student feedback across all engineering subjects over the years 2012-2013. Our results show that students welcome web-conferencing as a very effectivemeans to deliver classes to distance students and improve their learning experience.

[1]  Chris Sturm,et al.  Faculty Adoption of Technology: The Use of Elluminate Live , 2011 .

[2]  Matthew Joordens,et al.  Engineering Distance Education at Deakin University Australia , 2014 .

[3]  Tarek Abdel-Salam,et al.  Engineering Laboratory Instruction in Virtual Environment--"eLIVE". , 2011 .

[4]  Matthew Joordens,et al.  Effective technology to support cooperative learning in a virtual learning environment , 2013 .

[5]  K.R. Behling,et al.  Live distance learning delivery of master of science courses in building construction management , 2007, 2007 37th Annual Frontiers In Education Conference - Global Engineering: Knowledge Without Borders, Opportunities Without Passports.

[6]  Daniel Dickrell.  Applying Distance Education Technologies to a Large-scale Engineering Mechanics Course , 2012 .

[7]  William Wiersma,et al.  Research Methods in Education: An Introduction , 1980 .

[8]  Panagiotis Anastasiadis,et al.  Issues of importance in engineering education and distance learning , 2006 .

[9]  John Long,et al.  Use of web-conferencing software to enhance practical learning for distance students in a first-year Engineering course , 2013 .

[10]  Stuart Palmer,et al.  Assessing the Likely Impact of Mandatory Residential Sessions for Engineering and Technology Students , 2005 .

[11]  Stuart Palmer,et al.  On- and off-campus student persistence and academic performance , 2002 .

[12]  John Long,et al.  Engineering education down under : distance teaching at Deakin University, Australia , 2004 .

[13]  Laura A Killam,et al.  An Introduction to Distance Education: Understanding Teaching and Learning in a New Era , 2010 .

[14]  John R. Bourne,et al.  Online Engineering Education: Learning Anywhere, Anytime , 2005, Online Learning.