Engineering Students' Cognitive Learning and Perceptions in a Blended Learning Course

This study examined how cognitive learning was expressed by graduate engineering students (n = 20) in a blended course consisting of a face-to-face (n = 12) and online synchronous sections (n = 8), and students' perceptions (n = 41) toward the blended course. Specifically, this study examined (1) how cognitive learning was expressed by students when they worked in face-to-face groups, mixed groups (combination of online and face-to-face students), and individually in a blended engineering course, and (2) potential differences between face-to-face and online students' perceptions of the blended learning course. The participants were graduate students at a large public university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA who enrolled in a sixteen-week blended System Engineering Design course. There were three face-to-face groups with two students per group (n = 6) and four mixed groups with three students per group (n = 12). Two students worked individually. The findings revealed that when students worked in groups, the level of their cognitive learning was higher than working individually. In addition, when students worked in mixed groups in combination with face-to-face and online students, the levels of their cognitive learning was higher compared with those of the face-to-face groups. To answer the second research question, data were collected over four semesters of the same course with the same instructor. There was no significant difference between the online and face-to-face students' perceptions regarding the overall course instruction and course effectiveness. However, the online students responded more positively about their course instructor's encouraging them to be actively involved in the course content through assignments and other activities.