Comparing the Effects of COVID-19 on ETAC and EAC Programs at a Regional Comprehensive University

Abstract

Abstract Western Carolina University (WCU) is a regional comprehensive university in a rural part of western North Carolina. The School of Engineering and Technology at WCU houses four undergraduate, residential programs – Electrical Engineering (EE), Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET), Engineering with Mechanical and Electrical Power Concentrations (BSE), and Engineering Technology (ET). Two of the programs are primarily electrical in nature – EE and ECET, while the other two are primarily mechanical – BSE and ET. The EE and BSE programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET; the ECET and ET programs are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). The school has built curricula that integrate all four programs into five common courses, designated the project-based learning (PBL) sequence. Thus it is common for a faculty member to teach a PBL course with students from all four programs, integrated into interdisciplinary teams. The balance of theory and application varies amongst the programs: the two engineering programs (EE and BSE) have a stronger emphasis on theory and design, while the two engineering technology programs (ECET and ET) place more weight on application. Given this difference in emphasis, the impact of disruptions such as COVID-19 to engineering and engineering technology programs might be different. In the Spring semester of 2020, academic institutions across the United States significantly adjusted content delivery as a result of COVID-19. Adjustments to course delivery have continued into the Fall semester of 2020 and Spring semester of 2021. These adjustments have affected many people on every campus. This paper presents the impact of changes due to COVID-19 on teaching and learning for students and faculty in the School of Engineering and Technology. Data were collected from students in the form of a survey that explored the impact of COVID-19 in the classroom. Perceptions of learning in three course formats (face-to-face, hybrid, online) and two online delivery methods (asynchronous, synchronous) offered in 2020 were surveyed. Student perception of instructor behavior and student expectations of their instructor during the pandemic were also assessed. This paper evaluates the differences in those impacts for engineering (EAC) and engineering technology (ETAC) programs.