Face-to-face vs. Online learning in Engineering Courses

After the 2017 earthquake, instruction-at-adistance was massively adopted at Tecnologico de Monterrey Mexico City Campus (CCM). This tragic experience gave CCM staff, faculty, and students truly online expertise, which is now used due to the pandemic. The pros and cons of in-site classes versus online sessions are presented and discussed for engineering courses. A 25-item survey was designed containing categories such as human interaction, command on oneself, and academic performance, among others. A total sample of 396 engineering students was considered. Most students agree that the face-to-face scenario favors their enthusiasm for class attendance, their learning process as well as teacher and peer-to-peer communication. The lack of human contact, the lack of outdoor activities, and the difficulty in making new friends were also factors against education at a distance. Along the same line, distraction, depression, and stress incremented in the online model. However, from the academic point of view, student performance remained similar in the face-to-face model compared to the online model. The teacher's efforts in order to implement active learning activities through novel apps and simulations in the online model were remarkable.