In today's team-based and distributed workplaces, engineers who work together to solve com- plex technical challenges require technical competencies but also require other engineering professional skills, e.g., the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, the ability to deal with social issues, and self-awareness. Therefore, engineering educational programs need to pre- pare students for the demands of their future workplaces. The COVID-19 pandemic required changes in education, one of which was to switch to a distance-learning mode. Teaching pro- fessional skills for engineering students was already challenging, and it became even harder during the COVID-19 pandemic with the demand for distance-based learning through online courses. Transitioning to an online delivery format typically requires substantial re-tooling of traditional courses. Our study is based on converting an eight-week on-campus professional skills course, where the physical meeting had been a central component of the pedagogy, to an online course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four professional skill topics were taught in the course. 74 students signed up for the course and 87% completed the course. In the pa- per we discuss both positive and potentially problematic aspects of online courses for teaching professional skills in engineering education.
Pages:
258-272
Affiliations:
Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Keywords:
Computer Science Education
Software Engineering
Electrical Engineering
personal management
social competence
Communication
Teamwork
engineering profession
CDIO Standard 2
Year:
2023
Reference:
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