Learning Outcomes in Virtual Laboratories for Engineering Subjects as a COVID 19 Paradigm

Abstract

The research was applied to the Faculties of Engineering, who took on the challenge in the process of student knowledge acquisition, fostering skills and attitudes that typically require a practical and laboratory component, in a virtual learning environment. The purpose was to evaluate the levels of achievement of practical learning in virtual laboratories (VL) with the use of computer software, as a challenge for the educational sector during the pandemic in such a way that they must be maintained, enhanced and adapted to the new reality due to positive result in engineering subjects. For the investigation, the students of the first and sixth cycle engineering subjects of the Ricardo Palma University (URP) and the National Technological University of Lima Sur (UNTELS) were selected as samples. The methodology considered two phases, in the first the characteristics of the sample were determined and in the second the questionnaire and rubric were applied. The questionnaire with a Likert scale to the indicators (availability of computer equipment, simulation software, laboratory guides and practical learning) and the rubric to determine the learning results through the diagnostic, formative and summative evaluation carried out by the teacher in the virtual laboratory. The results showed a high percentage at the level of good (achieved) and in some subjects an excellent level (outstanding achievement) was obtained, however, there is still work to be done on learning that is in process and at the beginning, as a need for improve the pedagogical strategies (methodologies, tools and didactic components) that the virtual, blended and face-to-face teaching-learning process will demand, from now on.