Experimental Learning in Engineering

Remote laboratories and virtual experimentation have reshaped how engineering students gain hands-on skills, allowing learners to interact with real or simulated control systems and physical apparatus through an internet connection rather than a shared physical space. Researchers study whether these environments can replicate the cognitive and procedural benefits of in-person lab work, and under what conditions simulation-based learning produces durable technical competence. A persistent open question is how to design remote experiments that preserve the productive difficulty of physical troubleshooting—the unscripted moments where something goes wrong and a student has to reason their way through it. Active work in the area examines hybrid models that blend local, remote, and simulated components, as well as how equitable access to internet-accessible labs might extend quality STEM education to under-resourced institutions.

Works

108,654

Total citations

415,543

Keywords

Remote LaboratoriesEngineering EducationVirtual LabsControl SystemHands-on ExperimentsSTEM Education