EXPLORATION OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF VIDEO CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Recent studies have shown that video conferencing technology is a useful strategy to connect students with their instructors in teaching and learning environments at universities and higher education institutions. The purpose of the present paper is to carry out an exploration on the factors influencing the use of video conferencing technology to enhance the quality of engineering education. A case study methodology was used in this study. In order to achieve this goal, the researcher focused on this topic during a group interview with 10 graduate students who had used video conferencing technology in engineering courses. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that factors affecting the quality of the use of video conferencing technology could be organized in three main categories: roles, teaching-learning interactions, and structure. Accordingly, suggestions for planning and policymaking for the use of this technology in teaching and learning environments were offered at the end of paper. Taking the aforementioned suggestions into consideration would be useful to help optimize and better engineering education.