1) The document describes a study that implemented computer simulations and remote labs to teach an "Electricity" course to automotive engineering students. 2) Students took an assessment test after the course and completed a learning perception questionnaire. Test results showed students performed better with simulations, and had more difficulties with remote labs. 3) According to the questionnaire, students preferred hands-on learning and calculus classes but performed better with simulations. They also felt more dependent on their teacher than taking autonomous study. 4) The teacher felt using different tools helped students and that remote labs compensated for limited lab time. Results indicated the approach helped students develop electrical knowledge and skills.

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1
Track
Educational Innovation
Clara Viegas1, Natércia Lima1, Gustavo Alves1, Ingvar Gustavsson2
1 Polytechnic Institute of Porto, School of Engineering, Porto, Portugal
2 Blekinge Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Karlskrona, Sweden

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• Introduction
• Implementation Design
• Curricular Design
• Assessment methodology
• Research Design and Data Collection
• Data Analysis and Discussion
• Class attending and test results
• Students learning perception on students’ results
• Teacher perception
• Conclusion

3. 3
• Computer Simulations and Remote Labs:
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 used as en educational tool
 prove to be effective in students
learning gains
o increase students’ results on
“Electricity”

4. 4
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 each method allows developing different
competences
 teachers to reach more students due to
their different learning styles.
 However, these gains are still understudied
in literature…

5. 5
“Electricity” course – 1st year, 2nd Semester of a 3 year
degree “Automotive Engineering” (79 enrolled students):
 Duration: 6 weeks
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• 1 h recitation classes (T)
• 1h calculus practise classes
• 1h of laboratory classes (PL)

6. 6
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Example of a circuit that students had to assemble in
the Toyota demo board, powered by a typical car
battery:
 measure voltage and electrical currents (and
perform calculus verifying basic electrical laws)

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Circuit Simulator (used in T and PL classes):
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• T classes: for immediately visualizing circuit
variables
• PL classes: verifying the results of calculus and to
predict the values resulting from circuit
measurements

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Remote Lab – VISIR (used in T and PL classes):
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• T classes: to exemplify the hands-on procedure for
measuring a given circuit variable
• PL classes: practised to mount a circuit powered
with the DC supply and use the multimeter to
measure currents and voltage

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Assessment Test Design (in the end of the intervention):
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• 24 different test versions (as the 3 PL classes were
distributed along several days)
• each required the analysis of 2 circuits (C1 and C2)
where:
• C1: calculus work, simulation and remote lab
• C2: hands-on lab and simulation

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Test assignment
results, analysed
partially and the
overall
Learning Perception
Questionnaire
(PLEQ)
Teacher’ perception
of the didactic
intervention and
students’ learning
 Compare students’ perception of learning and
their opinions on the different teaching
resources with their academic results and
teachers’ opinion

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Class attending and test results
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• 83% of students attended the test
• Simulator - shows better results
• Remote lab - students have more difficulties
•The “most attending students” performed better and this is
more relevant in remote lab

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MOODLE records
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• Number of accesses in each virtual component:
 a tendency that students accessed more had
better grades

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Learning Perception Questionnaire results
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• different learning environments importance:
 “hands-on” first, followed by “calculus classes”
Perception of the Learning Environments
2.55
3.32
4.5
2.36
2.27
2
2
4
5
2
1
4
5
3
2
Remote Lab
Simulation
Hands-on Lab
Calculus
Lecture
Importance
Mode Mediane Average

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Perception of the Type of Study Importance
With the
computer
With the
professor
With colleagues
Autonomous
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Learning Perception Questionnaire results
• each type of study importance:
 “in class” or “with the help of the teacher”
3.41
3.64
2.23
3.68
2.05
4
3.5
2
4
1.5
5
2
3
1
In class
Mode Mediane Average
My
colleagues
14%
Mine
47%
My
Professors
34%
Other
5%
Learning Responsability
Distribution

15. 15
40
30
20
10
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Learning Perception Questionnaire results
• identified factors students feel (and explain) which
helped or hindered their learning
0
Number of factors identified in relation
to each learning environment
Lecture Calculus
Class
Hands-on
Lab
Helps
Hinders
Simulation Remote Lab
in class autonomous with
colleagues
with the
professor
with the
computer
Number of factors identified in
relation to each type of study

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Teacher Perception *
• about the didactic approach:
 the usage of various tools is important – helps
students adaptation to the complexity of practical
problems in the future
 Remote lab is of most value to compensate the
large number of students per class and little lab
time.
• about students’ learning:
 helps students develop basic knowledge and
competences about electricity
* teacher with 20 years experience in this course

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 “Hands-on” and “Calculus” classes are the
preferred learning environments; still they were
not the environments were they performed better
 More at ease with simulation environment
 Remote lab is the one where they had more
difficulties – VISIR was felt as an extra obstacle
they would have to endure (requires effort to
overcome initial difficulties…)
 Students’ distribution of the learning
responsibilities shows that students are still very
dependent on what their teacher does.

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 Students, in general, are more involved and
participative in the proposed tasks
 Students achieved better school results
 Improve course design:
 Less time in calculus classes
 Less time spent in introducing the simulator
 “Hands-on” – better and more material available,
smaller groups, computers in the branches, more
time in class
The key to increase students’ scholar results and
competences is finding the right balance between
these components!

19. Many
thanks
for your
attention!
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