The Impact of Virtual Office Hours in Engineering

Instructor-student interaction is an important element of the course design, but office hours can be challenging to attend. They have time and space limitations that prevent students from getting the help they need. Virtual office hours can address issues related to low attendance. Virtual meetings are flexible, yield productive interactions, and an unlimited number of students can participate. This study aims to report on the student’s perception of the usefulness of virtual office hours and the factors affecting their motivation to attend. About 150 undergraduate students in three different engineering courses were exposed to virtual office hours. Their perspectives were collected via anonymous post surveys and analyzed thematically. The average number of students that attended at least one session was 83%. This study found that students are more motivated to reach out to professors through virtual office hours and it is preferred over face-to-face. Many stated that they were a convenient and less intimidating way to get additional help on course material. It helped several students solidify their understanding and improve their grade