Optimizing Student Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Study of Onsite, Virtual, and Remote Laboratories in Electrical Engineering

参与机构：北得克萨斯大学(LEAD)、德克萨斯女子大学和波多黎各大学马亚戈分校项目描述该项目正在研究用于本科工程教育的现场、虚拟和远程实验室，以获得可测量的学习结果(例如，ABET)，以检查实验室设计、教学投入和学生人口统计的交互影响。目标是建立一个框架，用于开发一个混合式学习环境，在该环境中，不同的实验室设计(现场、虚拟和远程)协同工作，以增强学生的学习和态度并改进教育实践。信息技术对教学和学生学习的方式产生了深远的过渡性影响。这个项目正在促进对这一过渡对学生学习结果和整个工程课程的影响的理解。最终产品将包括：(1)新实验室-正在通过四个项目课程设计、实施和评估远程和虚拟实验室。这些设计中的虚拟教师模块为学生提供了更逼真的学习环境。(2)以学生为中心的教学设计-通过使用以项目为导向的实验课程，学生通过发现实验室问题的解决方案来探索自己的学习之路。这种模式使学生能够掌握探索和练习解决问题的技能，培养创造力。(3)增强对不同实验室设计的理解-一项比较研究正在研究不同实验室设计在支持学生学习方面的有效性差异，这反过来将帮助教育工作者和研究人员就未来的实验室发展做出更明智的决定。更重要的是，该项目正在创建和提供吸引不同学习风格、背景和兴趣的学生的实验室教学。该项目希望通过与德克萨斯女子大学的联合项目以及与波多黎各大学马亚圭兹分校的合作，让女性和少数族裔学生参与学习体验的共同设计，从而改善工程专业女性和少数族裔学生的招聘和留住。该项目通过其传播活动，预计将通过提供适合特定实施的交付类型(现场、虚拟和远程)选择，接触到对采用新实验室感兴趣的广大受众。

Participating Institutions: University of North Texas (lead), Texas Woman's University and University of Puerto Rico at MayaguezProject Description This project is studying onsite, virtual, and remote laboratories used in undergraduate engineering education, garnering measureable learning outcomes (e.g., ABET) to examine the interaction effects of lab designs, instructional input, and student demographics. The goal is to establish a framework for developing a blended learning environment in which different laboratory designs (onsite, virtual, and remote) function in concert to enhance student learning and attitudes and improve educational practice. Information technologies have created far-reaching transitional effects on how instruction is delivered and students learn. This project is advancing an understanding of the impact of this transition on student learning outcomes and the engineering curriculum as a whole. The end products will include: (1) New labs - remote and virtual labs are being designed, implemented and evaluated through four project courses. The Virtual Instructor module within these designs is providing students a more realistic learning environment. (2) Student-centered pedagogical design - by using a project-oriented lab curriculum, students are exploring their own path to learning by discovery of their solutions to lab problems. This modality enables the students to take control over the exploration and practice problem-solving skills, and fosters creativity. (3) Enhanced understanding of differing lab designs - a comparative study is examining the differences of effectiveness in support of student learning among different lab designs which, in turn, will help educators and researchers make more informed decisions regarding future lab development.Broader Significance The project is creating and offering laboratory instruction that appeals to students with diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and interests. The project hopes to improve the recruitment and retention of women and minority students in engineering by engaging them in the co-design of the learning experience, through a joint program with Texas Woman's University and cooperation with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. The project, through its dissemination activities, is expected to reach a broad audience of those interested in adopting the new labs by offering a choice of delivery types (onsite, virtual, and remote) to adapt for a specific implementation.