COVID-19 forced institutions to abruptly switch to teaching online using technological systems, tools, and applications to ensure the continuity of the education process. In applied sciences and engineering, the transition was not easy because of the inherent nature of these courses. To overcome these challenges, instructors find themselves in a position to update course syllabi by introducing technologically driven interactive activities using simulations and reformatting course assessment and evaluation approaches. In this paper, we introduce our enhanced online teaching practices that was employed in physics for medical imaging by redesigning the course content, instructional delivery, and assessment. The focus was on enriching the course content with activities that promote student engagement and interactivity to enhance the students learning experience. The approach has been implemented over the past two fall semesters in accordance with the institution response strategies to the COVID-19 protocols. To assess the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted two independent comparative exercises. First, we compared the students’ academic performance in the two semesters to their traditional face-to-face (F2F) performance before the COVID-19. Second, we conducted a questionnaire on the two batches to gauge the students’ perception and satisfaction with the teaching approach and its impact on their academic performance. The results show the academic performance of the students has slightly improved. The students’ overall satisfaction was mixed, with a general appreciation of the organization and the introduced interactive activities. However, students appreciated the F2F activities and teaching attributes that allowed physical interactions with the instructors. Implications for future teaching and research on strategies for enhancing students’ learning in complex and fluid times are highlighted. For instance, further general and customized training for students and instructors on the various interactive tools and pedagogical activities can enhance the quality of the course. Future research could also explore strategies further to stimulate students’ online learning and engagement within the study’s cultural and educational context using multi-disciplinary and mixed methods approaches.