Assessing the Influence of an Online Video Tutorial Library on Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students

Juliana Lynn Fuqua; Faye Linda Wachs; Paul Morrow Nissenson; Deanna Miranda Barrios; Cecilia Nguyen

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Conference: 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual Conference
Publication Date: July 26, 2021
Start Date: July 26, 2021
End Date: July 19, 2022
Conference Session: Computers in Education 4 - Online and Distributed Learning 1
Tagged Division: Computers in Education
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--36720
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/36720
Download Count: 331

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Paper Authors

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Juliana Lynn Fuqua California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Juliana Fuqua, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University Polytechnic, Pomona, who completed her doctoral degree at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Fuqua’s dissertation at the University of California, Irvine, was an evaluation of transdisciplinary scientific collaboration, which was part of a large National Institutes of Health Initiative. Dr. Fuqua is a quantitative and qualitative consultant, trained in survey methods, statistics, focus groups, interviews, and program evaluation. Consulting work has included local and national transdisciplinary endeavors. Current interests include evaluation of innovations in STEM products and education, transdisciplinary scientific collaboration, and understanding how the social and physical environment interacts with human development and behavior.

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Faye Linda Wachs California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Faye Linda Wachs is a professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Dr. Wachs received her Phd in Sociology from the University of Southern California, along with a graduate certificate in gender studies. Dr. Wachs’ published work focuses on gender equity, health, fitness, media, sport, sexuality and consumerism. Her book, Body Panic: Gender, Health and the Selling of Fitness, co-authored with Shari Dworkin was the recipient of the North American Society for Sport Sociology (NASSS) Distinguished Book Award in 2010. She is the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 2012 Provost Award Winner for Distinguished Service as well as the 2009-10 Cal Poly Pomona College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Outstanding Advisor. Dr. Wachs is the former president of an international academic organization, the North American Society for Sport Sociology. Dr. Wachs’ current research focuses on the impact of facial paralysis, innovative research methods, social media and identity and STEM Education. In her spare time, Dr. Wachs enjoys hiking, running, biking, sailing, knitting/crocheting/sewing and spending time with her family and dogs.

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Paul Morrow Nissenson California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Paul Nissenson (Ph.D. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2009) is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He teaches courses in the thermal-fluid sciences, computer programming, and numerical methods. Paul's main research interests involve studying the impact of technology in engineering education. He has served on the ASEE Pacific Southwest Section Board of Directors since 2014, including as the PSW Section Chair for 2018-2019.

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Deanna Miranda Barrios

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Cecilia Nguyen California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Abstract

Since 2013, the Mechanical Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) has created over 600 videos for its curriculum across 12 courses. These videos are available to the public as an open educational resource at the “ME Online” website (www.cpp.edu/meonline), which has accumulated over 8,600,000 views as of March 2021. In 2018, a brief survey was administered to 340 mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly Pomona as part of a pilot study to investigate the impact of ME Online [1]. The survey results were promising – the vast majority of students felt the video library made a positive impact on their education and helped their grades in at least one course. However, the survey did not explore the socio-emotional impact of the video library on students nor obtain specific recommendations of how the video library could be improved to enhance student success. The current study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of how ME Online influences student success and obtain ideas of how to improve ME Online. During Spring 2020, the authors studied the impact of ME Online on senior-level mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly Pomona using surveys (n = 110) and focus groups. Survey results indicated almost every student (96%) was aware of the resource and used the resource at least once, with students watching an average of 1.8 hours of video per week. At least 80% of the students rated the videos as “moderately” to “very” helpful, useful, satisfying, confidence-inducing, and enjoyable. The videos were rated as especially helpful for courses with higher failure rates. Despite the videos being highly regarded, students viewed the videos as a good supplement rather than a replacement for professors and peers when they needed help. Nearly all students (96%) provided favorable ratings about the trustworthiness of the video library and most students trusted the ME Online videos more than other videos available online. They were particularly happy when finding videos by their favorite instructors who were clear, engaging, and knowledgeable. Most students plan on using ME Online as alumni for both professional and personal reasons – 88% of the students reported they expect to use ME Online to study for licensing exams, graduate school work, professional work, and/or just to learn new things. The study also explores the potential for video libraries like ME Online to help address achievement gaps among historically disadvantaged groups. Latinx students and first-generation students used ME Online more frequently than other students, and generally rated the resource more highly than other groups. In particular, they noted the importance of being able to pause and control the pace of delivery, which is especially useful for non-native English-speaking students. The authors provide suggestions for improving video libraries such as focusing on courses that have higher failure rates, frequently reminding students about the resource, being aware of differences between the topics emphasized in a course and topics covered in the videos, and adding videos for non-major core courses such as physics.

Citation
Format

Fuqua, J. L., & Wachs, F. L., & Nissenson, P. M., & Miranda Barrios, D., & Nguyen, C. (2021, July), Assessing the Influence of an Online Video Tutorial Library on Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--36720

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Since 2013, the Mechanical Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) has created over 600 videos for its curriculum across 12 courses. These videos are available to the public as an open educational resource at the “ME Online” website (www.cpp.edu/meonline), which has accumulated over 8,600,000 views as of March 2021. In 2018, a brief survey was administered to 340 mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly Pomona as part of a pilot study to investigate the impact of ME Online [1]. The survey results were promising – the vast majority of students felt the video library made a positive impact on their education and helped their grades in at least one course. However, the survey did not explore the socio-emotional impact of the video library on students nor obtain specific recommendations of how the video library could be improved to enhance student success. 
 
The current study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of how ME Online influences student success and obtain ideas of how to improve ME Online. During Spring 2020, the authors studied the impact of ME Online on senior-level mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly Pomona using surveys (n = 110) and focus groups. Survey results indicated almost every student (96%) was aware of the resource and used the resource at least once, with students watching an average of 1.8 hours of video per week. At least 80% of the students rated the videos as “moderately” to “very” helpful, useful, satisfying, confidence-inducing, and enjoyable. The videos were rated as especially helpful for courses with higher failure rates. Despite the videos being highly regarded, students viewed the videos as a good supplement rather than a replacement for professors and peers when they needed help. Nearly all students (96%) provided favorable ratings about the trustworthiness of the video library and most students trusted the ME Online videos more than other videos available online. They were particularly happy when finding videos by their favorite instructors who were clear, engaging, and knowledgeable. Most students plan on using ME Online as alumni for both professional and personal reasons – 88% of the students reported they expect to use ME Online to study for licensing exams, graduate school work, professional work, and/or just to learn new things. 
 
The study also explores the potential for video libraries like ME Online to help address achievement gaps among historically disadvantaged groups. Latinx students and first-generation students used ME Online more frequently than other students, and generally rated the resource more highly than other groups. In particular, they noted the importance of being able to pause and control the pace of delivery, which is especially useful for non-native English-speaking students. 
 
The authors provide suggestions for improving video libraries such as focusing on courses that have higher failure rates, frequently reminding students about the resource, being aware of differences between the topics emphasized in a course and topics covered in the videos, and adding videos for non-major core courses such as physics.
AU  - Juliana Lynn Fuqua
AU  - Faye Linda Wachs
AU  - Paul Morrow Nissenson
AU  - Deanna Miranda Barrios
AU  - Cecilia Nguyen
CY  - Virtual Conference
DA  - 2021/07/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Assessing the Influence of an Online Video Tutorial Library on Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/36720
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--36720
ER  -