Impact of Modality on Workload among Engineering Undergraduates during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Publication: Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 149, Issue 4
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented disruptions in models for engineering student training. At The Citadel, an undergraduate-focused college in the Southeastern United States, a variety of modalities were implemented following the onset of the pandemic, including emergency online and Hyflex learning. We conducted a longitudinal study to analyze the cognitive load among our undergraduate engineering students throughout changing modalities. Using data from the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) and open-ended reflections on student challenges, we found that total workload (a surrogate for cognitive load) was generally highest during emergency online learning in the second half of Spring 2020 semester, with experiences possibly varying across different demographic and academic groups. Emergency online challenges were often related to time management, personal organization, and responsibility for learning. In contrast, HyFlex challenges were often related to technology and communication challenges. While emergency online learning was a cognitive load disruption, that disruption was often associated with personal and/or academic development. HyFlex learning mediated cognitive load disruption; although, student challenges may have been simple nuisances rather than mediators of developmental change.
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Data Availability Statement
All data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Participants’ TLX responses and written challenges experienced across modalities are available; however, the corresponding author reserves the right to withhold any demographic or otherwise identifiable participant information.
Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2027637. RAPID: Impacts of Unprecedented Shift to Online Learning on Students’ Cognitive Load and Readiness for Self-Directed Learning. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Dr. M. K. Watson acknowledges financial support from The Citadel Provost’s Office in the form of a paid sabbatical that provided resources for data analysis and manuscript preparation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 149 • Issue 4 • October 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 12, 2022
Accepted: Jan 18, 2023
Published online: May 22, 2023
Published in print: Oct 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 22, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Colleges and universities
- Computer networks
- Computing in civil engineering
- Design (by type)
- Disaster preparedness
- Disaster risk management
- Education
- Emergency management
- Engineering education
- Engineering fundamentals
- Epidemic and pandemic
- Internet
- Load factors
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Structural design
- Students
- Undergraduate study
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Cited by
- Mary Katherine Watson, Elise M. Barrella, Kevin Skenes, Development of Self-Directed Learning Readiness among Undergraduate Engineering Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Civil Engineering Education, 10.1061/JCEECD.EIENG-1965, 150, 2, (2024).