Hybrid Mode: A New Norm for Electrical Engineering Laboratory Education?

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT The COVID-19 pandemic has created an incredibly challenging period in which to deliver engineering laboratory exercises. Utilising available digital technologies, the authors converted traditional hands-on laboratory exercises to virtual labs and remote labs. Commencing in Semester 2, 2020, the authors' School has offered a hybrid teaching model which simultaneously delivers laboratory content to an on-campus cohort (who participate in traditional hands-on labs) and a remote-learning cohort (who participate via virtual and/or remote labs). While trying to ensure that the learning experience of both on-campus and remote-learning students were similar, and that teaching outcomes were maintained, the authors observed that the success in adaptation of existing course content to the hybrid teaching model differs between Units of Study (UoS). There is a challenge to understand the basis for these differences and how to optimally design teaching material and manage classes to achieve the best learning outcomes. PURPOSE The authors manage and coordinate operation and teaching across six electrical engineering teaching laboratories. This paper aims to report the degree of success of introducing hybrid laboratory education across twelve UoS. Specifically, based on student responses to a survey undertaken in Semester 1, 2021, the authors evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid model by seeking to answer two questions (1) Could the students be satisfied with the new hybrid model? (2) Could on-campus and remote-learning students have similar learning experiences? METHODS The study covers the School's teaching laboratory programs that span three broad teaching disciplines power/energy, communications/photonics, and computer/digital electronics. They are organised in either mixed mode (both on-campus and remote cohorts undertake the same exercises) or parallel mode (cohorts complete different exercises that have common learning outcomes). Student survey data across twelve UoS are available, including responses about learning experience, tutor teaching, and additional comments. The method is mainly quantitatively statistical analysis, supplemented by qualitative study. OUTCOMES Overall, the hybrid lab program results in a satisfactory learning experience for students. This means that implementing electrical engineering laboratory teaching using a hybrid model is found to be both practical and applicable. However, students on-campus in the mixed mode and both cohorts in the parallel mode tended to adapt more successfully to the hybrid model than those remote students in the mixed mode. It prompts the educators to fine-tune the hybrid program to better accommodate the remote mixed mode students. CONCLUSIONS While the hybrid model can deliver effective laboratory education, the degree of success and student experience was found to vary between different cohorts. Further study is warranted to understand the factors behind these differences and to then explore more effective approaches to maximise the students' learning experience. This paper serves as a starting point for the community to discuss the new norm for engineering laboratory education. The pandemic has already had a transformational impact on the delivery of engineering education, and hybrid education may not be transient but instead a future steady state. Copyright © Huang, Chu & Jones, 2021.