Virtual and distance experiments: pedagogical alternatives, not logistical alternatives

Abstract

Remote and virtual access to laboratory classes are increasingly prevalent in undergraduate engineering courses, but as yet there have been few, if any, studies, that adequately evaluate the learning outcomes of these alternative access modes. The move to alternative access modes has been driven primarily by logistical imperatives such as increased flexibility of delivery, and potential cost reductions. This focus on the "how" of implementing the laboratories has come at the expensive of the "why" - the impact upon the students' learning has been largely overlooked. This paper reports a study into remote and virtual access to laboratory equipment, and shows that there are statistically signi..