A Review of the Teaching Modalities Chosen by Faculty During the Global Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Universities, worldwide, are managing their course offerings during the coronavirus pandemic in different ways and numerous factors are considered when selecting an appropriate teaching modality. In this paper, a research question is posed as follows how do faculty members prefer to teach during the pandemic and what are the implications? Data is provided from the engineering and computer science faculty members at The University of Texas at Dallas, where faculty are individually offered a choice among five different teaching modalities. The results are used to quantify our faculty's selection and explain reasons for selecting a particular teaching modality. The required preparation, and the support offered by the university to the faculty during the pandemic are also addressed. Half the faculty, who taught virtual classes, consider the student's performance on assessments comparable to the performance of students during previous semesters when the class was given in-person. A quarter considers the student's performance better and a quarter considers it worse. Beyond the pandemic, the majority of the engineering and computer science faculty prefer flexibility between the classroom and remote teaching. Otherwise, they prefer teaching in the office over working from home. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021