Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to universities when instruction had to shift entirely online. Universities were quick to survey their students about those challenges, and education researchers are now focused on building more effective online experiences based on student feedback. About the case: The loss of in-person instruction was difficult for engineering students in practice-based courses as they lost the courses’ hands-on aspect, which is essential for reinforcing theoretical concepts. They also lost the support provided through daily interactions with their peers and instructors. Situating the case: Students in a required four-course practice-based mechanical engineering sequence shared their perspectives via reflective portfolio essays on how shifting to online instruction affected their ability to participate in their learning communities and negotiate meaningful learning experiences. Methods/approach: Through thematic analysis of the reflective essays, we applied the lens of communities of practice to put the students’ responses into context. Results/discussion: The students’ concerns varied depending on their position in the course sequence and the course; however, most students felt that the loss of in-person interaction was most detrimental and disruptive in the transition to online instruction and yielded communication and teaming issues. Implications and conclusions: Five implications arose from the results of this study, including recognizing the unique challenges of online learning in practice-based courses, instructing students in virtual communication tools, exercising empathy, being mindful of cognitive load, and researching self-directed learners in online environments. In addition, faculty should consider the importance of students’ communities of practice and build opportunities to maintain and strengthen the bonds of those communities within their courses, both online and face to face. They should also add more opportunities for virtual interaction early in the curriculum to build digital communication skills, which will undoubtedly be required in their careers.

中文翻译：

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动荡中的轨迹：工科学生对实践社区中断反应的案例研究

介绍：当教学必须完全在线转移时，COVID-19 大流行给大学带来了前所未有的挑战。大学很快就这些挑战对学生进行了调查，教育研究人员现在专注于根据学生的反馈构建更有效的在线体验。关于案例：对于以实践为基础的课程中的工程专业学生来说，失去面对面的指导是困难的，因为他们失去了课程的实践方面，这对于加强理论概念至关重要。他们也失去了通过与同龄人和教师的日常互动所提供的支持。案情：参加要求的四门基于实践的机械工程课程的学生通过反思性作品集分享了他们的观点，讨论了转向在线教学如何影响他们参与学习社区和协商有意义的学习经历的能力。方法/方法：通过对反思性文章的主题分析，我们运用实践社区的视角将学生的回答置于背景中。结果/讨论：学生的关注点因他们在课程顺序和课程中的位置而异；然而，大多数学生认为，面对面互动的丧失对向在线教学的过渡最为不利和具有破坏性，并产生了沟通和团队合作问题。影响和结论：这项研究的结果产生了五个影响，包括认识到在线学习在基于实践的课程中的独特挑战、指导学生使用虚拟通信工具、锻炼同理心、注意认知负荷以及研究在线环境中的自主学习者。此外，教师应考虑学生实践社区的重要性，并创造机会在他们的在线和面对面课程中维持和加强这些社区的联系。他们还应该在课程的早期增加更多虚拟互动的机会，以培养数字沟通技能，这无疑是他们职业生涯中所需要的。