Using FastTest PlugIn for the design of remote and hybrid learning environments to improve the engineering skills of university students

Abstract

Research on improving engineering skills in students advocates for high-quality teaching practices as well as the implementation of digitally enhanced management systems, such as e-Learning. Furthermore, COVID-19 led to several changes in education, such as switching drastically from face to face to emergency remote and later hybrid teaching. This study has focused on the proposal, the application and the evaluation of a new e-Learning teaching method. FastTest PlugIn has been used for the creation of large sets of questions, to develop parameterised and individualised exercises in Moodle. The method has been applied since COVID-19, considering different types of teaching: completely remote, hybrid and face to face. It has been implemented in some courses of the bachelor's and master's degree in engineering at the University of Cadiz (Spain). The academic performance and students' feedback on the method have been obtained. During remote teaching, students presented lower scores than before the pandemic. However, as students became familiar with the method and at least face-to-face exams were carried out, the scores and students' perception of the difficulty of the courses improved. The main novelty of this method is the reliability of creating different exercises for a consistent level of difficulty; the ability to avoid dishonest actions of students; and the time saved by instructors, as exercises are automatically corrected. This study provides the advantages and benefits of digitally enhancing university teaching. Furthermore, it is the first to investigate the integration of FastTest PlugIn to enhance teaching quality and engineering skills.