IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i9p5056-d800047.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Case Study of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning and Online Assessment in Electrical Engineering Courses during COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Amith Khandakar

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Md. Saifuddin Khalid

    (Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Nizar Zorba

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to move to online teaching and develop innovative teaching techniques to ensure that student learning outcomes (SOs) were fulfilled. This paper tries to answer the important question of whether an established teaching strategy through a multi-course project-based learning (MPL) approach, along with online assessment techniques, helps in the effective achievement of SOs in a senior-level electrical engineering (EE) course. The authors have developed a course project for attaining the objectives of a senior and a capstone course, where students are registered at the same time. In addition, the course conducts assessments online. The paper reports the effect of the two approaches on the attainment of the SOs of the two courses, along with testing the programming and problem-solving abilities of the students. It is known that the MPL approach enhances the critical thinking capacity of students, which is also a major outcome of Sustainable Development Education (ESD). It was ensured that the project that was used to test the fulfillment of a series of SOs were concentrated on soft engineering and project management skills. The difficulty of adopting the MPL method for the senior-level courses is in the scheduling of the course materials to help the student advance to the final project while also aligning the project towards fulfilling the learning outcomes of the individual course. The study also provides the students with feedback on online assessment techniques incorporated within the MPL. Besides this, the effect of the innovative teaching approaches was compared with the same senior course taught using conventional methods in an earlier semester. Based on the feedback from teachers and students from a previously conducted case study, it was concluded that the MPL approach had supported the student learning. The results of the statistical analysis (Chi-square, two-tailed T statistics and hypothesis testing using a z-test) show that an MPL approach and online assessment improved the attainment of the SOs despite the constraints posed by the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Amith Khandakar & Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury & Md. Saifuddin Khalid & Nizar Zorba, 2022. "Case Study of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning and Online Assessment in Electrical Engineering Courses during COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:5056-:d:800047
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5056/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5056/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro-Gen & Francisco J. Lozano & Kaisu Sammalisto, 2019. "Teaching Sustainability in European Higher Education Institutions: Assessing the Connections between Competences and Pedagogical Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, March.
    2. -, 2020. "Education in the time of COVID-19," Coediciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 45905 edited by Eclac.
    3. repec:ecr:col016:45905 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Szopiński, Tomasz & Bachnik, Katarzyna, 2022. "Student evaluation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dongdong Zhang & Cunhao Rong & Hui Hwang Goh & Hui Liu & Xiang Li & Hongyu Zhu & Thomas Wu, 2023. "Reform of Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Teaching and the Curriculum System in the Context of the Energy Internet," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-37, March.
    2. Diana Guaya & Miguel Ángel Meneses & Ximena Jaramillo-Fierro & Eduardo Valarezo, 2023. "Augmented Reality: An Emergent Technology for Students’ Learning Motivation for Chemical Engineering Laboratories during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Igor Jacky Dimitri Michaleczek & Fatma Kayan-Fadlelmula & Abdel Latif Sellami, 2022. "Research on Higher Education during the COVID-19 in the Gulf Cooperation Council: An Overview of Publications in the Journal Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Victor Takashi Hayashi & Reginaldo Arakaki & Felipe Valencia de Almeida & Wilson Vicente Ruggiero, 2023. "The Development of Sustainable Engineering with PjBL during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-23, March.

    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. Elvie Barzo Gonzaga & Don Anton Robles Balida & Angelo Evangelio Gonzaga, 2023. "COVID-19 Precautionary Measures and Practices for Delivering Modular Distance Learning," World Journal of English Language, Sciedu Press, vol. 13(2), pages 1-98, March.
    2. Rima Wajih Hamed Daraghmeh, 2021. "Palestinian University Students' Perceptions of Distance Education in Light of the Coronavirus Crisis," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(5), pages 1-1, October.
    3. Rodrigo Domínguez-González & Laura Delgado-Martín, 2022. "Arousing Early Strategic Thinking about SDGs with Real Mathematics Problems," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, April.
    4. Gene Klein, 2021. "Viewing Gamification Design Limitations and Weaknesses through a Pandemic Lens," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-8, November.
    5. Ilona & Urbanyi-Popiolek, 2022. "New Insights into the Ferry Business in the Turbulent Environment," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 63-73.
    6. U. Y. Abdur Rahman, 2020. "Utilization of Indonesia’s Digital Economy to Invest in Human Capital and Provide Socio-Economic Support to Stimulate Economic Growth," International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, Professor Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, vol. 6(6), pages 312-322.
    7. Rozina Afroz & Nurul Islam & Sajedur Rahman & Nusrat Zerin Anny, 2021. "Students’ and teachers’ attitude towards online classes during Covid-19 pandemic: A study on three Bangladeshi government colleges," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(3), pages 462-476, April.
    8. Carolina Feliciana Machado & João Paulo Davim, 2022. "Higher Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach—What, Where and Who Is Doing Research in This Subject?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, April.
    9. Alfonso Infante-Moro & Juan C. Infante-Moro & Julia Gallardo-Pérez & Francisco J. Martínez-López, 2022. "Key Factors in the Implementation of E-Proctoring in the Spanish University System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-16, July.
    10. Sung-Shun Weng & Yang Liu & Juan Dai & Yen-Ching Chuang, 2020. "A Novel Improvement Strategy of Competency for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) of University Teachers Based on Data Mining," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Ana Iolanda Vodă & Cristina Cautisanu & Camelia Grădinaru & Chris Tănăsescu & Gustavo Herminio Salati Marcondes de Moraes, 2022. "Exploring Digital Literacy Skills in Social Sciences and Humanities Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-31, February.
    12. Mališ Sanja Sever & Sačer Ivana Mamić & Žager Katarina, 2022. "Landscape of e-Learning during Covid-19: Case Study of Economic Disciplines in Croatia," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 8-27, December.
    13. Elżbieta Izabela Szczepankiewicz & Jan Fazlagić & Windham Loopesko, 2021. "A Conceptual Model for Developing Climate Education in Sustainability Management Education System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-26, January.
    14. Sorina Ioana MIȘU & Monica TRICULESCU, 2021. "Living And Teaching During Covid-19: The Damages And Benefits Of Telework," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(5), pages 129-137, October.
    15. Siti Fardaniah Abdul Aziz & Norashikin Hussein & Nor Azilah Husin & Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, 2022. "Trainers’ Characteristics Affecting Online Training Effectiveness: A Pre-Experiment among Students in a Malaysian Secondary School," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-24, September.
    16. Antonietta Cosentino & Paola Paoloni, 2021. "Women’s Skills and Aptitudes as Drivers of Organizational Resilience: An Italian Case Study," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, November.
    17. Flavio Pinheiro Martins & Luciana Oranges Cezarino & Lara Bartocci Liboni & Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior & Trevor Hunter, 2022. "Interdisciplinarity-Based Sustainability Framework for Management Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    18. Kareema Ali & Daniel Burgos & Saida Affouneh, 2023. "Educational Loss at Times of Crisis: The Role of Games in Students’ Learning in Palestine and Iraq," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Agustín Zaballos & Alan Briones & Alba Massa & Pol Centelles & Víctor Caballero, 2020. "A Smart Campus’ Digital Twin for Sustainable Comfort Monitoring," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-33, November.
    20. Jiwon Shin & Myengkyo Seo & Yong Kyu Lew, 2022. "Sustainability of Digital Capital and Social Support during COVID-19: Indonesian Muslim Diaspora’s Case in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:5056-:d:800047. 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.