Abstract:

Blended learning has become a widely used method of learning at the university as a result of the pandemic. In the first few months, a transfer of all teaching to the online model was made. In contrast, in the 2020-21 academic year, many colleges have opted for a blended model. The most theoretical or traditional lectures, with a normally high number of students, online and; the most practical sessions, with a smaller number of students, face-to-face. This work shows the results obtained in surveys of four-grade engineering students. The results of this study are compared with the literature [1-3].

Regarding the results associated with the perception of students, it should be noted that their assessment is more positive in the case of practical sessions than in the online sessions, being the average of the responses of 3.12 and 2.28 out of 4 respectively. It should be remarked that the assessment of online activities has been reduced from that obtained in the first months of the pandemic. Probably then the effort associated with the abrupt adaptation was well valued. Comments on open questions find that in online classes one of the possible problems is that the adaptation of learning material (and the way it is sometimes exposed) has not really been adapted to online learning. No significant differences have been detected depending on the degree of engineering or the gender of the student.

Regarding the interaction of students with peers, it is mostly done via social networks or chats, while the most common interaction with professors is by email. In addition, information on digital skills and availability and access to ICT has been also obtained.

References:
[1] M. Mielikainen, “Towards blended learning: stakeholders’ perspectives on a project-based integrated curriculum in ICT engineering education,” Industry and Higher Education, doi:10.1177/0950422221994471, 2021.
[2] A. Armellini, V.T. Antunes, R. Howe, “Students perspectives on learning experiences in a higher education active blended learning context,” TechTrends, doi:10.1007/s11528-021-00593-w, 2021.
[3] S. Amponsah, Y. Ussher, K.A. Benjamin, “Availability and access to support services in a blended learning environment,” International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 57-71, 2021.

Keywords:

Blended learning, student's perception, Engineering.