Problem and project based learning (PBL) within an online engineering module: an examination of student teamwork satisfaction and attitudes

As online learning environments become increasingly popular within engineering education, practitioners and researchers seek to enhance teaching and learning by better understanding the factors influencing students’ perceptions. This study aims to explore some of these factors by employing a multi-methods survey design, which included a Teamwork Satisfaction Scale, Online Collaborative Attitude Scale and an open-ended question. The participants are first-year engineering students (N = 94) in an online module that was developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quantitative results highlight overall positive student perceptions of teamwork satisfaction and collaborative attitude in the online environment. The qualitative results identify eleven elements of successful online collaboration. The findings also highlight multiple factors which have the potential to positively impact student perceptions of collaboration in online PBL settings. Additionally, the study presents a refined Teamwork Satisfaction Scale and Collaborative Attitude Scale. However, further refinement by way of an exploratory factor analysis is recommended.