Web-based interactive virtual laboratories for electrical engineering and manufacturing education

Abstract

The paper presents a discussion on the characteristics and assessment of the incorporation of multilayered, highly interactive, simulation-based, integrated, and adjustable virtual laboratories for engineering and technology education in the areas of telecommunications and manufacturing. These labs are designed to enhance the understanding of technical concepts and underlying fundamental principles, as well as to help students master certain performance-based skills online. These virtual labs can be combined with related hands-on exercises to form hybrid laboratories to be delivered via either online or on-site teaching methodologies. Virtual labs contain expandable sets of virtual experiments (VE), as well as relevant learning resources and assessment activities. Each VE focuses on a particular task and comprises such components as highly interactive main and auxiliary Java or Flash simulations, specific learning objectives, an experiment description, step-by step instructions for students, a worksheet, built-in lessons and technical manuals to facilitate "just-in-time" learning, embedded assessments, and other resources. An easy-to-use tool that enables instructors with no-programming experience to produce appealing and pedagogically sound interactive virtual activities is available as well. An example of a multilayered virtual lab on optical sensors is shown in Figure 1. Presented materials have been developed with partial support from the NSF. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.