Advances in Engineering Education - Volume 9 - Issue 4 - Looking Ahead: From Driving Cars in The Lobby to Online - Using Open Creative Expression to Understand Student Emotions About Transitioning to Remote Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis

Oct 15, 2026

In response to COVID-19, students in a first-year general engineering program rapidly shifted from an interactive, hands-on model with remote-controlled cars in a campus lobby to an asynchronous, online format with no face-to-face interaction. Instructors created an open creative-expression assignment allowing students to choose media and freely depict course disruption and emotional impact. Submissions were reviewed and followed by individualized feedback, and a coding system mapped media and moods to understand overall responses. Outcomes suggested the approach strengthened the student-instructor bond and offered more creative self-expression than report-based tasks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2021: VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 Looking Ahead: From Driving Cars in The Lobby to Online: Using Open Creative Expression to Understand Student Emotions About Transitioning to Remote Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis BENJAMIN D. CHAMBERS Virginia Tech KENNETH J. REID University of Indianapolis ABSTRACT In response to COVID-19, students in a first-year general engineering program rapidly transitioned from a highly interactive, hands-on model with large remote-controlled cars in the lobby to an asynchronous, online model without face-to-face student interaction. The instructors designed an assignment to encourage students to creatively express how the course interruption and transition online was affecting them. The assignment encouraged complete freedom of expression and choice of media. The intent was to keep a personal connection with students and to create a feedback opportunity to make up for the lost in-person informal connectionsand observations. The instructor of each section viewed submissions, and offered encouraging, individual feedback on each. Afterwards, instructors developed and applied a coding system for applicable media and moods to help understand overall student response. The instructors were left with the perception that the responses were very powerful, and successful at strengthening the recently weakened student-instructor bond. We found the assignment gave students a chance to express themselves more creatively than assignments such as reports. This paper will introduce the assignment and give an overview of student submissions. We believe similar assignments could be useful in any course where the instructor has an interest in the well-being of their students, and we ourselves plan to use this style of assignment to explore topics including students’ desire to continue to pursue engineering, or comfort level during their first year of college. Key words: First Year, Course Assessment, Feedback, COVID 2021: VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Looking Ahead: From Driving Cars in The Lobby to Online INTRODUCTION Virginia Tech has a general admission engineering program, admitting approximately 2,000 incoming first-year students into general engineering. Students select a discipline at the end of their first year. Approximately 60% of engineering programs nationwide follow such a model (Chen, et al. 2013, 8–9; Virguez 2017, 3–4) . A key component of the first year is a two-semester Foundations of Engineering course sequence: ENGE 1215 and 1216, taught in multiple 72-seat sections with an instructor and graduate assistant. Students explore 14 engineering disciplines, professional skills, and are introduced to engineering tools in ENGE 1215. ENGE 1216 is a project-based course featuring an engineering design. In this case, the project centered around equipping remote controlled cars to complete specific tasks such as negotiating obstacles and directing different objects into goals. Specific design criteria included functionality and aesthetics. Teams had completed a prototype demonstration prior to spring break, staged in a large test area in the atrium of a building. The syllabus called for this initial test at the midpoint of the semester, to be followed by design iteration and a final showcase event. The COVID-19 pandemic put a hard stop on these plans. Spring break was extended by one week and students, obviously unexpectedly, did not return to campus. This meant a radical redesign of the course: from a highly interactive, hands-on model with large remote controlled cars in the lobby to asynchronous and online. From the instructors’ viewpoint, the course went from a very student-focused model built around student interaction and teambuilding to an asynchronous, online model without face-to-face student interaction. The instructors decided

FAQs

What problem did the instructors address after the course moved online during COVID-19?

They addressed students’ sense of belonging and the loss of personal, informal interactions that occurred when face-to-face instruction stopped. The instructors sought ways to mitigate the separation effects on students.

How did the creative expression assignment work?

Students communicated feelings about the transition to an online model using any chosen medium that could be shared through Canvas. The assignment was released after the extended break and required submission within two weeks.

How were student submissions analyzed?

Instructors reviewed submissions for their sections, provided encouraging individual feedback, and then developed a coding system to categorize applicable media and moods to interpret overall student response.

Oct 15, 2026

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