How did mechanical engineering students experience COVID-19?

Published Jun 16, 2024 · Updated Mar 03, 2026

COVID-19Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering relies on hands-on learning, so COVID-19 closures hit hard. Students reported a largely negative shift in delivery and access to practical learning, but confidence in staff and peer collaboration held up. Across the COVID-19 topic, which groups National Student Survey (NSS) open‑text comments sector-wide (see how we analyse open-text NSS comments), students contributed 12,355 remarks and sentiment was 68.6% negative, setting the context for disrupted study and uneven communications. Within mechanical engineering, as defined by the Common Aggregation Hierarchy used for subject-level comparison across UK higher education, the picture is more balanced at 49.8% positive overall. Remote learning still trends negative (−23.0), and marking criteria attract the sharpest criticism (−46.1). The analysis below focuses on three priorities: stabilise delivery mechanics, protect practical learning, and make assessment transparency a design principle.

How did the shift to online learning change mechanical engineering delivery?

The transition to online learning moved a hands‑on discipline into virtual spaces quickly. Students adapted by running complex simulations and design tasks remotely, and staff introduced tools that simulate authentic problems more closely. Flexibility and replayable lectures helped some cohorts, but others reported slower access to support and less structured interaction. With remote learning trending negative in mechanical engineering, programmes now set expectations for format and interaction, align online activities to module learning outcomes, and provide a predictable rhythm for synchronous engagement.

What happened to practical learning and lab work?

Restricted access to workshops and labs disrupted the development of tactile skills. Virtual labs sustained continuity, but students questioned whether simulated environments can substitute for equipment handling and materials experience. Departments responded by sequencing on‑campus practicals for priority cohorts, recording demonstrations, and using simulation to prepare students for shorter, intensive lab blocks. This approach helps maintain educational quality while managing health and safety constraints.

How did students access specialist resources from home?

Access to CAD and simulation software from home exposed inequalities in hardware and connectivity. Many universities provided remote licences, cloud access and loan devices, and introduced short online tutorials to reduce friction. A single source of truth for software access, updates and troubleshooting improves predictability. Staff also publish short “what changed and why” notes when licensing or platform arrangements shift. These practices reduce uncertainty and support timely project work.

How did the changes affect mental health and wellbeing?

Isolation, interrupted groupwork and uncertainty increased stress. Although online counselling and peer forums helped to maintain community, students who rely on collaborative studio and lab environments still reported reduced motivation. Younger and full‑time cohorts reported more negative experiences across COVID‑19 comments, so teams prioritise proactive check‑ins, consistent timetabling information, and structured group tasks to rebuild a sense of cohort.

How did industry engagement and placements adapt?

Paused placements limited workplace immersion. Virtual internships and remote projects preserved exposure to real tasks and employer contact, but reduced hands‑on learning. Staff worked with companies to define outcomes, cadence and feedback processes so students could demonstrate competence. Programmes increasingly scaffold placement‑adjacent activity within modules: live briefs, code reviews, design critiques and reflective logs that map explicitly to learning outcomes.

How did assessment and exams change?

Online assessment protected continuity but raised concerns about fairness, criteria and reliability. Mechanical engineering feedback patterns emphasise assessment design and transparency. Students want criteria that map to outcomes, consistent marking, and feedback they can act on. In response, departments publish annotated exemplars, checklist‑style rubrics and sample marked scripts. They set realistic feedback timelines with progress tracking and stabilise assessment windows with a “no surprises” approach to timetabling. These steps address persistent pain points around marking criteria and feedback while maintaining academic integrity in online assessments.

What should mechanical engineering keep after the pandemic?

Hybrid delivery now focuses on purpose: use online modes where they add value, protect time‑intensive labs on campus, and keep teamwork structures that strengthen learning communities. Programme teams capture and re‑use the most effective practices, maintain a concise playbook for rapid shifts, and build on areas that stayed more neutral during disruption (e.g. clear assessment briefs, continuity of learning). Students expect accessible resources and transparent communications. Programmes that meet these expectations lift confidence and reduce avoidable friction.

How Student Voice Analytics helps you

• Track COVID‑19 topic volume and sentiment analysis over time, then drill down from institution to school/department, cohort and site.
• Benchmark mechanical engineering against other CAH groups, then slice by demographics, mode and campus.
• Generate concise, anonymised summaries with representative comments, and export tables and figures for briefing packs.
• Evidence progress year on year in delivery, assessment clarity and operations, so you can target fixes where sentiment is lowest and publish visible changes.

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