Teaching software to engineering students with pre-recorded video material

Abstract

This report introduces the existing methods employed to teach software in relation to the key challenges associated with teaching to first year engineering students. Among those, the use of pre-recorded video material is recommended as an effective teaching method for software learning of students with different background and computer skills. Pre-recorded video material allows students to perform software learning tasks at their own pace and easily review procedures that they have not fully understood. The use of this teaching method is shown through a pre-recorded video developed for the VBEA30 course called “Communication and Computer tools” given by LTH to first year students in the 3-year Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Byggteknik) at Campus Helsingborg. The advantages and limitations of this teaching method are here discussed in comparison to existing alternative methods to perform software tutorials.