Student-teacher out-of-class communication on engineering courses during the COVID-19 pandemic: from face-to-face to videocalls

ABSTRACTABSTRACTOut-of-class communication between teachers and students is essential throughout university engineering courses for in-depth explanations of the concepts covered in class. This study evaluates this aspect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, a survey that addressed this issue was administered to students at the beginning (March 2020) and at the end (May 2020) of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, and at the end of each semester of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years. The results were analyzed with statistical, qualitative, and mixed methods. E-mail usage was widely observed at the beginning of the pandemic, while the use of online videoconferencing tools progressed during that time, thanks to their temporal and spatial flexibility, and the direct and personal nature of student-teacher contact through those channels. Its success was linked to the prior training of teachers in the use of videoconferencing, the establishment of fixed schedules for the meetings, and the use of digital whiteboards that instantaneously display writing when discussing problems. According to the opinions of students, videocalls could be used for questions on theoretical and easy practical aspects despite the resumption of out-of-class face-to-face meetings. Videoconferencing tools for educational communication between engineering students and teachers seem to be here to stay.KEYWORDS: COVID-19 pandemice-mailengineering courseface-to-face meetingsonline videoconferencing toolsstudent-teacher communication AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the University of Burgos for supporting this study through the funding program "Convocatoria de Ayudas a Grupos de Innovación Docente reconocidos para la elaboración de materiales docentes para los años 2021 y 2022" of which the researchers who conducted this study were beneficiaries.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThe authors are grateful for funding from the Spanish Ministry MCIN, AEI and ERDF [grant number FPU17/03374]. In addition, the authors would like to thank the University of Burgos for supporting this study through the funding program "Convocatoria de Ayudas a Grupos de Innovación Docente reconocidos para la elaboración de materiales docentes para los años 2021 y 2022" of which the researchers who conducted this study were beneficiaries.Notes on contributorsVíctor Revilla-CuestaDr. Víctor Revilla-Cuesta, Civil Engineer (MEng.) from the University of Burgos in 2018 and Ph.D. from the University of Burgos in 2021. Currently, Assistant Professor at the University of Burgos and member of the Department of Civil Engineering. His teaching focuses on hydraulics and sustainable construction. His main line of research deals with the performance of sustainable building materials. However, his research also focuses on the improvement of teaching quality in engineering courses, in which, in his opinion, it is necessary to implement new teaching methodologies that allow the personal development of the student and a better adaptation to the social demands that the future engineer has to face in the professional framework. He is author of several scientist articles and conference proceedings regarding engineering teaching and education.M. SkafDr. Marta Skaf, Civil Engineer (MEng.) from the University of Cantabria in 2004 and Ph.D. from the University of Burgos in 2016, with Extraordinary Doctorate Award. She has worked as Project Manager in over 50 engineering projects and construction works. This experience has been used to bring highly practical and realistic engineering solutions to the classroom, since she started teaching at the university in 2012. Associate Professor in the Department of Construction at the University of Burgos, she has taught over 1,500 h of different courses related to the field of Construction Engineering. She has been granted the highest qualification in her teaching quality evaluation and she has supervised a large number of Degree Theses and Student Internships. Also involved in academic management and excellence as a member of the University Council, the University Senate, the Commission of several Degrees, and Secretary of the Committee of the Degree Theses.R. Serrano-LópezDr. Roberto Serrano-López, Civil Engineer (MEng.) from the University of Burgos in 2004 and Ph.D. from the University of Burgos in 2011. After working as engineering projects consultant for 10 years, he currently holds an Assistant Professor position at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Burgos, where is also the Academic Secretary and member of Degrees Theses Committee. He has taught more than 1,600 h in Structural Engineering and Urban Planning courses, and supervised more than 25 Degree Theses. His docent trajectory has been recognized with the highest qualification in the last teaching quality assessment. Coauthor of several research articles, he has also collaborated in many R&D Projects in different knowledge fields.V. Ortega-LópezDr. Vanesa Ortega-López, Agricultural Engineering (2004) and Ph.D. from the University of Burgos (2011). She is Full Professor in the Area of Continuous Media Mechanics and Structures of the University of Burgos since 2004. She has taught more than 2,500 h of lessons. She has supervised a large number of Degree Theses and, since 2013, has been Director of the Teaching Innovation Group "Transition from High School to the University", having always been committed to the correct adaptation of future engineers both to the future development of professional practice and to the beginning of university studies. She is the Coordinator of the Erasmus Agreements with different universities, and she is member of the PhD School of the University of Padua since 2018. Co-author of several articles indexed in JCR, publications in conference proceedings and patents. Between 2012 and 2019, she held the academic position of Secretary of the Civil Engineering Department.