Application of e-Learning in engineering education: A case study

Application of e-Learning in engineering education: A case study

1. Current practices of ICT and e-learning in engineering education

   • e-learning resources
     • Digital or digitized content from online system
     • learning objects such as simulations, structured lessons
     • Multi-user, dynamic and interactive learning environments permitting constructive learning
   • Innovative learning technologies
     • VIrtual and remote laboratories
     • Virtual Learning Environments
     • Managed learning environments
   • Deficiencies in the connventinal teaching and learning system
     • Inadequate student-teacher interaction
     • complex teaching and learning
     • loss of synchronization
     • weak collaboration and communication
     • difficult student management

2. Case study: Concerned on examination of adoption of ICT and e-learning at nine institutions of the state of Jammu and Kashmir

   • Survey instruments
     • Purpose of survey instrument
       • To gather information from faculty members about the existing use of basic ICT tools in engineering classrooms and laboratories
       • To gather information about the use of web based training tools currently used by the faculty members
     • Method
       • Respondents rate their current usage of ICT tools and e-learning tools using 5-point rating Likert scale
       • Paper-pencil Delphi method to gather, organize and prioritize dominant factors
     • Reliability
       • measured by Cronbach's alpha with a very high overall reliability
       • Data analyzed using Statistical Products and Service Solutions
   • Engineering Curriculum
     • theory courses
     • practical courses
     • seminar on contemporary topic
     • project work
   • Result
     • ICT is not used widely
     • ICT is moderately practiced in seminar work, laboratory, and classroom
     • ICT for project work, management and assessment is extremely low
     • ICT for scheduling, student record and conduct, and usage in student assessment was found to be negligible
     • e-learning is not used moderately but faculty encourages students to use it
     • No teacher uses lecture management system
     • E-resources are very rarely uploaded, online interaction and assessment is almost absent

3. Discussion

   • E-learning is till in early stage of adoption and implementation of e-learning particularly in developing countries faces diverse challenges which are multidimensional and heterogeneous
     • personal or dispositional
     • learning style
     • instructional
     • situational
     • organizational
     • content suitability
     • technological
   • Surveyed institutions are at disadvantage due to education is imparted using traditional pedagogy and e-learning are not employed moderately