COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN ENGINEERING GRAPHICS THROUGH ZOOM BREAKOUT ROOMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34142/2312-1548.2026.66.08Keywords:
distance education, breakout rooms, cooperative learning, engineering graphics, Zoom, Learning by Teaching, Community of InquiryAbstract
Relevance. The mass transition to distance education has brought forth the question of effective organization of group work in online environments. Zoom breakout rooms have become a practical tool for implementing cooperative learning, yet the specifics of their application in technical disciplines, particularly engineering graphics, remain insufficiently studied.
Research aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching methodology for engineering graphics using breakout rooms based on student perceptions. The study draws on the Community of Inquiry theoretical model, the Learning by Teaching concept, and cooperative learning principles.
Methods. The study was conducted at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute with first-year students majoring in Nuclear Energy. A three-stage lesson structure was developed: introductory briefing, group work in breakout rooms on tasks of two difficulty levels, and presentation of results with collective error analysis. Groups of 3–4 students collaboratively completed drawings of sections, after which students individually added dimensions, implementing the two-stage cooperative learning model. To verify understanding, oral questioning with real-time construction elements was conducted. Data collection was carried out through an anonymous online survey six months after the lessons; response rate was 58.1% (25 of 43 students). The questionnaire contained 17 Likert-scale questions in four blocks (engagement, learning quality, organization, comparison with traditional format) and 3 open-ended questions.
Results. The overall mean score is M=4.05 (SD=0.85), with 74.1% of responses rated 4–5. The “Learning Qualityˮ block received the highest ratings (M=4.20, SD=0.68), indicating the pedagogical effectiveness of the methodology. The statement “Group work helped me better understand the algorithm for performing sectionsˮ received the highest indicator M=4.84 (SD=0.37). The Learning by Teaching phenomenon was confirmed: 44% of respondents described experiencing deeper understanding through explaining material to peers. Students valued the speed of feedback, psychological safety in small groups, and mutual quality control. Comparison with the traditional format showed advantages: 76% of students reported accomplishing more in the group format. A limitation was identified: insufficient time (M=3.60, SD=1.15).
Conclusions. The three-stage methodology using breakout rooms is an effective pedagogical approach for teaching engineering graphics remotely. High ratings of learning quality and confirmation of the Learning by Teaching phenomenon indicate activation of deep learning mechanisms in synchronous group work conditions. The methodology ensures optimization of the three types of presence in the Community of Inquiry model, which explains its effectiveness compared to the traditional individual format.
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