Internet contribution to the engineering students' learning

Abstract

Nowadays, the internet represents an essential tool that enables students to not only communicate but also access vast amount of information on a broad range of topics. This study investigates the impact of internet use on engineering students and how it has contributed to their academic advancement. The study offers an analysis of the responses of engineering students (n = 1376) enrolled in three major universities in Lebanon. Participants completed a survey that collected various data related to demographics, how long they have been using the internet, how many hours-week they spend on the internet, and the purpose of these activities. Participants were also asked to rate, using a 4-point Likert-type scale (1 = very little, 4 = very much), 22 items that reflected the degree to which their internet use affected their skills. An exploratory factor analysis was appliedto the 22 items that generated four knowledge factors involved in internet use: nonformal, informal, professional, and social. Informal was shown to be the most important knowledge factor for participants, followed by non-formal, social, and professional. This study contributes in general to the literature of engineering education and in particular to the contribution of technology use in learning. © 2014 TEMPUS Publications.