Program Overview

Introduction to Engineering Online Course

Description

The Introduction to Engineering online course is a next-generation, massive online course designed to excite students about a degree in engineering. The course was reimagined to meet the growing demands of the Introduction to Engineering course, which is a large, 1-credit survey course. The new course design reduced staffing requirements, freed up much-needed classroom space, and saved thousands of dollars, all while delivering a quality learning experience.

Course Design

The course design included the following techniques:

• Lectures replaced by professional-quality video: Synchronous lecture hall meetings were eliminated and replaced with professional-quality video content, including interviews with professional engineers and alums, recorded panel sessions with faculty and upperclass students, and advisor-led overviews of majors.
• Compressed schedule: The course schedule was compressed, distributing the previous 15 weekly meetings into 15 modules delivered over 8 weeks, with no modules released on weeks with Calculus and Chemistry mid-terms.
• In-person opportunities: Four in-person synchronous panel discussions were available for students to meet alums, upperclass students, and faculty, which were recorded and made optionally available to the class online.
• Active learning: Students were required to have one "Engineering is Doing" hands-on experience, coordinating with campus programs and external partners to explore hands-on engineering opportunities.
• Project-based group experience: Partnering with OIT students created, in groups, final video projects connected to the learning outcomes of the course.

Impact on the University

The Introduction to Engineering online course had a significant impact on the University, including:

• Created significant increases in faculty/staff efficiency: Reduced from the 2013 teaching team of 3 faculty, 2 staff, and limited TA support to the 2014 team of 1 faculty, 1 staff, 1 10 hr/wk undergraduate assistant.
• Increased available lecture hall space: Reduced classroom usage from 5 sections offered Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in 2013 to 0 classrooms in 2014.
• Identified significant cost reductions: Reduced costs from $60,000 in 2012 to $6,000 in 2014.
• Determined that students prefer online delivery of Introduction to Engineering: 70% of students expressed a preference for the course to be offered online, with 44% indicating the strongest possible preference.
• Found evidence of student learning at scale: Student pre/post surveys indicate an increased knowledge of the engineering profession and engineering careers.

Implementation Status

The Introduction to Engineering online course is widely considered a success by the College of Engineering, the Office of Information Technology, and CU Boulder campus leadership. The course will be offered again, using the same format and building an even more immersive environment, with conversations about the future of the course including the possible conversion into an outreach MOOC offered free to the State of Colorado, or using the course as a larger platform for the College of Engineering's first-year experience.