WIP: Assessment of learning effectiveness in online and face-to-face learning environment for engineering education

This empirical WIP study compares mechanical engineering students' performances and experiences in undergraduate online courses with equivalent courses taught in a conventional face-to-face classroom environment by the same instructors. The comparative analysis includes the background of students, student ratings of instructor and learning experience; assessment of course interaction, structure, and support; and learning outcomes such as exam grades, and self-assessments. With advances in new internet-based technologies, online learning is perceived as a breakthrough in teaching and learning because it facilitates the exchange of information and expertise while providing opportunities for all types of learners in distant or disadvantaged locations. While online learning is gaining in deployment, many educators are concerned about the learning effectiveness of online learning, possible lack of interaction between students and teachers in an online learning environment, and its effect on students' knowledge and experience in comparison to face-to-face learning in conventional classroom environments, especially for courses related to undergraduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics) majors. In the present study, analyses of the results showed that the overall learning effectiveness of online learning is equivalent to traditional classroom education, and it is not degraded due to the online format of instruction which is the major concern of many educators. On average, online students also rated their acquisition of knowledge, the quality of course, and the instructor marginally better than the classroom students.