Online Offshore Delivery of a Multidisciplinary Study-Abroad Engineering Project

Abstract

This paper presents the adaptation of a multi-disciplinary project-based learning (PBL) model for study-abroad engineering program to an offshore, online delivery model due to Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions that prevented the students from travelling to the host country. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of switching our existing model to an online, offshore delivery environment, where the accessibility to a physical space was interrupted. We asked learners to provide specific feedback in their reports and presentations regarding the online environment and working in a virtual team, and analysed this feedback by dividing it into themes around communication, teamwork and technical content. Overall, the project outcomes were similar to previous years in which instruction was in a face-to-face classroom environment. Overall feedback from the learners was positive. The majority (9 of 11) learners felt that although completing the project online brought extra difficulties, that the experience was valuable and would be beneficial for their future. Although learners had sufficient tools to carry out effective communication and coordinate their project contributions, limitations in the technology (for example difficulty in showing 3D details of objects and mechanisms using a laptop web-cam), or cultural habits (reticence in ‘bothering’ others when unsure what they are doing) meant that this communication was not always as efficient or effective as it could have been. Including a fully online multidisciplinary project can be said to provide learners with experience in an environment that is becoming more important in the workplace. To make the most of this learning opportunity, it is important that we make every effort to give the learners a positive overall experience so that they carry this impression with them into future endeavours.