e-Engineering Education: Issues and Perspectives for Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions, specially those offering engineering degrees face serious issues related to the maintenance and scheduling of engineering laboratories. When faced of the prospect of having also remote laboratories, their reaction is very negative. On this article is explained the history of remotes laboratories, their relation with distance education, limitations and future possibilities in e-Engineering, and Engineering Education in general. Usually, remote labs are explained in a engineering related way (how they work) forgetting their integration in an engineering degree. e-Engineering has to be considered as the future of engineering, provoking changes in current engineering degrees, in order to give the students of engineering the right set of competences and skills.