Effects of Laptop Requirements on Online Architecture and Architectural Engineering Education

Architecture and architectural engineering (A/AE) education has always relied on traditional (face-to-face) delivery modality in a studio-based environment. However, COVID-19 impacted the field of education by effecting a transition to an Online Learning Environment (OLE), which relied on computer hardware and software for content delivery. This transition affected the A/AE faculty, which faced a new challenge in the form of online delivery of design studios. A survey was then carried out after closure of universities post-COVID-19 to assess the OLE experience of the A/AE faculty and examine the relationship between laptop requirements and faculty perceptions about online education. This study is comprised of online survey responses from 143 US A/AE educators. Respondents reflected on their experience before January 2020, during the time of COVID-19 impact or transition, and potential future impacts for the Spring of 2021. In this study, the impacts on faculty proficiency with online architecture instruction, existing technological infrastructure, and faculty communication with students were determined. Relationships were found between university or departmental laptop requirements and faculty experience with developing online coursework curriculum and delivering the curriculum only via online methods, like live streaming (synchronous), recorded lectures (asynchronous) or a blend of both. The research provides empirical evidence that depicts the impacts of COVID-19 during the transition period.