Implementation of Virtual Training: The Example of a Faculty of Computer Science during COVID-19 for Sustainable Development in Engineering Education

Research on faculty engagement in computer science and e-learning environments is limited. Students in computer science majors and courses often cite the lack of engagement of their faculty as a reason for their decision to switch majors, drop out or perform poorly. With the shift to e-learning asso...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electronics (Basel) 2022-03, Vol.11 (5), p.694
Main Authors: Rajab, Khairan, Hamdi, Mohammed, Al Reshan, Mana Saleh, Asiri, Yousef, Shaikh, Asadullah, Rajab, Adel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CAI
Classrooms
Colleges & universities
Computer assisted instruction
Computer science
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Distance learning
Educational objectives
Engineering education
Higher education
Medical research
Online instruction
Pandemics
Polls & surveys
Public speaking
Storytelling
Student participation
Student retention
Students
Sustainable development
Teaching
Training
Verbal communication
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Research on faculty engagement in computer science and e-learning environments is limited. Students in computer science majors and courses often cite the lack of engagement of their faculty as a reason for their decision to switch majors, drop out or perform poorly. With the shift to e-learning associated with the current global pandemic, reports of faculty engagement across countries and higher education systems converged to indicate a reduced level of interactivity. Using a cross-sectional sample of 39 lecturers and professors from a southern public university in Saudi Arabia, this manuscript documents empirically the low levels of computer science faculty engagement during the 2020 spring semester (March–May). The study found support for the hypotheses linking higher levels of empathetic instruction, an exhibition of exemplary performance traits, utilization of community building strategies and use of storytelling and students’ engagement. The study also found that many faculties need immediate and significant training on making their online instruction more interactive and exciting. Theoretically, the evidence presented confirms the importance of faculty engagement as the main predictor of desirable students’ outcomes across e-learning, as well as computer science learning environments.
ISSN:2079-9292
2079-9292
DOI:10.3390/electronics11050694