Online and blended learning in engineering education: a review of developments and impact

Abstract

Although online and blended learning have become sturdy elements of engineering education, their educational usefulness is still debatable in situations when professional competency depends on experimentation, troubleshooting, and teamwork. The data on blended and flipped instruction, remote and virtual labs, immersive technology, learning analytics, and new artificial intelligence (AI) support in engineering education is compiled in this comprehensive narrative review. The review develops the tactile-digital gap as an analytical construct, guided by the perspectives of the community of inquiry (CoI) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): the danger that advances in digital access and conceptual practice are not matched by comparable opportunities to develop embodied technical skills and professional identity. Four requirements are shared by successful hybrid models in the literature: learning outcomes dictate the choice of modality, online activity is dynamic and feedback-rich, digital laboratory work is sequenced with real-world physical practice, and institutions offer equitable access, faculty development, and quality assurance. Long-term evidence for practical competence and professional identity is still scarce, while the best evidence is found for conceptual achievement, adaptability, and self-direction. For post-pandemic engineering education, the review offers an integrative framework and design principles. It contends that adopting technology on its own is insufficient and that pedagogically integrated hybrid ecosystems that strike a balance between flexibility, experimentation, teamwork, and professional competence are necessary for high-quality engineering education.