Crisis Teaching Online - Reaching K-12 Students through Remote Engineering Lab-based Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct 15, 2026

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As schools closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 teachers faced urgent pressure to shift to remote instruction with limited preparation time. STEM teachers additionally had to redesign laboratory-based activities for virtual delivery. An instructional module supporting adaptation of engineering lessons for remote use was embedded in a research experience for teachers. Findings show teachers were worried about ongoing disruption and were motivated to learn practical techniques and best practices for online STEM teaching.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Challenges in transitioning to distance learning

Methods

Five-week virtual research experience

Developing and delivering remote engineering lessons

Focus of the Week 4 asynchronous module

Results

Teachers’ concerns and interest in best practices

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 Crisis Teaching Online: Reaching K-12 Students through Remote Engineering Lab-based Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic JEAN S. LARSON AND KIMBERLY FARNSWORTH Arizona State University Tempe, AZ ABSTRACT As schools were ordered to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 teachers were given little time to prepare and make the transition to a remote environment. STEM teachers have the added challenge of converting lab-based activities into a virtual format. To determine how K-12 teachers can best be supported to provide distance lab-based experiences, an instructional module on adapting engineering lessons for remote delivery was incorporated into a research experience for teachers. Results revealed that teachers are concerned about the continued disruption and eager to learn techniques and best practices for teaching STEM online. Key words: Remote laboratory, Engineering curriculum, Distance learning INTRODUCTION With little warning or training, K-12 teachers across the country were expected to transition from in-person instruction to distance learning within a matter of days in response to COVID-19 . Most teachers continue to be in survival mode, trying to get through each week, and are eager to find solutions to offer authentic and engaging material to their students. Formal teacher education programs typically focus on preparing K-12 teachers for face-to-face teaching, with virtually no training for delivering content in a remote environment [1] . Those teaching STEM content have the added challenge of converting lab-based activities into a virtual format that can be delivered remotely. Typical lab-based activities in face-to-face, K-12 STEM instruction include hands-on activities, laboratory work, simulations, demonstrations, and collaborative problem solving. The difficulty with translating these activities into a remote learning environment is maintaining the interactivity, authenticity, FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Crisis Teaching Online: Reaching K-12 Students through Remote Engineering Lab-based Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic and accessibility of these lab-based experiences. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic presents its own difficulties. Experts at the Imperial College London’s J-IDEA group, who are modeling the trajectory of the current COVID-19 outbreak, suggest that socially disruptive interventions such as stay-at-home orders could be in place for an extended period [2] . As restrictions are lifted, they may need to be reintroduced in waves perhaps until a vaccine becomes available. This will require intense adaptability as teachers transition between face-to-face and remote learning throughout the current school year. METHODS In an effort to determine how K-12 teachers can best be supported to provide distance lab-based STEM experiences, a module on adapting engineering lessons for remote and online delivery was incorporated into a five-week virtual summer research experience for teachers and data were collected. Eight K-12 STEM teachers (Figure 1) from across the United States were invited to participate ina hybrid research experience through the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Engineering Research Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG) . Teachers were recruited from schools local to two of the four CBBG university partners, Arizona State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, plus a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) partner, Lafayette College and serving students from underrepresented groups. Figure 1. K-12 STEM teachers and mentors: Each teacher presented their biogeotechnical engineering research and related developed lesson during the final two days of the virtual component of the program using Zoom. The faculty and graduat

FAQs

Why did K-12 teachers need support when moving to remote instruction during COVID-19?

Schools were ordered to close with little time for teachers to prepare for remote delivery. Many teachers were in survival mode and needed solutions for providing engaging material online.

What additional challenge did STEM teachers face compared with other teachers?

STEM teachers had to convert lab-based activities into a virtual format while preserving interactivity, authenticity, and accessibility for students.

How was support for remote engineering lessons delivered to participating teachers?

A five-week virtual summer research experience included a module on adapting engineering lessons for remote and online delivery, with both synchronous and asynchronous components delivered via platforms such as Zoom and Canvas.

Oct 15, 2026

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