The success of e-Learning implementation for engineering courses: Case study - EIT

Globally, the ease of internet access has had a positive effect on the education sector. Many higher education institutions are leveraging this opportunity and are strongly investing in e-Learning systems offering courses in various disciplines. Engineering courses are challenging on their own, but to teach and engage e-learners' in first year cohorts requires creativity and innovation from the teaching teams and providers. This paper aims to evaluate the success and learning quality by considering the implementations of new technologies available, as well as the students' knowledge gain and professional qualification via online courses. The paper evaluates the success of e-Learning for various engineering units at the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) by analyzing core units offered in EIT Bachelor of Engineering programs both online and on-campus. Grades from past two years of the online and on-campus cohorts were used. The main findings indicate stronger commitment from the online students as compared to the on-campus students. Furthermore, it was observed that over time with greater experience, lecturers were able to engage and motivate students more effectively.