2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Covid-19 has led to a rise in the online learning environment. While online learning becomes more prevalent today, the face-to-face (F2F) learning environment remains important in providing a sense of belonging, community and connection (Wut & Xu, 2021). These social and collaborative aspects are necessary for student’s success and engagement, especially in engineering education where group projects, experiential learning and hands-on application are central components of the curriculum (Lavado-Anguera, Velasco-Quintana, Terrón-López, 2024). The study aims to investigate how a F2F learning environment influences a student's academic engagement, community and belonging while exploring methods to encourage F2F enrollment in engineering education. The objective of the paper involves understanding how F2F courses can shape the academic and social experience of the engineering students. Furthermore, the study explores measures an institution can implement to increase the enrollment for F2F courses. Overall, the purpose of the study is to understand the role played by F2F education in engineering education.

To achieve these aims, the research addresses three key questions:
1. What factors influence students' decisions to enroll or not enroll in F2F courses, and how can these insights inform strategies to promote participation?
2. How do teaching practices, student interactions, and community-building manifest in
different F2F classes within engineering programs?
3. According to students and faculty, how does F2F instruction shape academic
engagement, community building, and educational practices?

To answer the following research questions, the research adopts a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with both teachers and students of differing backgrounds. A minimum of 10 students and five instructors are interviewed from the polytechnic school. Open-ended questions allow for an in-depth perspective of how F2F and online instruction affects students’ motivation, engagement and academic experience. The qualitative analysis helps to understand and explore students' and instructors' views towards enrollment decisions and the perceived value of face-to-face instruction in engineering education.

The study uses thematic analysis to interpret the data collected. The expected findings will demonstrate the effectiveness of the F2F learning environment in improving social and academic experience among students as compared to an online learning environment. The F2F courses could lead to higher levels of motivation, engagement and sense of belonging as compared to online learning courses. These findings can help institutions make an informed understanding of student’s learning behavior. Institutions are prompted to consider a need for F2F courses within their curriculum especially for engineering. Additionally, the results suggest approaches to improve the current F2F learning programs, assisting in the creation of educational experiences that best place students in the format of learning where they are most likely to succeed and satisfy their unique needs. Overall, the study proposes strong recommendations for institutions to prioritize for improved student learning and social experience within their curriculum.