Abstract:

The recent COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have triggered the urge to adapt to online teaching and learning almost without notice. The need to control the ongoing pandemic made it mandatory for many Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to keep on teaching at a distance using online learning platforms. The short notice and the need to comply with the previously defined curricula added the complexity to teach and learn more applied courses, such as the Automotive Engineering (AE) Degree. This was particularly demanding in this applied context of laboratory practical classes, and lead lecturers, and students alike, to develop and apply dedicated teaching & learning strategies to minimize negative impacts resulting from the compulsory distant classes. This study identifies and discusses some critical topics related to adapting the AE curricula to online and distant classes. Current research results should contribute to improving the development and the design of methodologies for online teaching and learning in applied degrees, such as the one of Automotive Engineering.

Keywords:

Online learning, COVID-19, engineering education, automotive engineering.