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Exploring Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Perspectives on Laboratory Learning: Comparing Hands-On, Remote, and Virtual Environments

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 15

Tagged Division

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/47446

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Paper Authors

biography

Yanyao Deng University of Exeter Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-4112-9121

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Yanyao Deng, Ph.D., is a researcher and schloar with a diverse background spanning education, technology, and linguistic. Holding a master and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Exeter, she also did a master in educational technology from Beijing Institute of Technology. Her research expertise lies in engineering education and business innovation, showcased through significant contributions to academic publications and conference presentations. Her research specializes in engineering education, focusing on remote laboratory evaluation. She is also passionate about exploring various technology applications to enhance engineering education.

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biography

Ibrahim H. Yeter Nanyang Technological University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-0175-2306

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Ibrahim H. Yeter, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education (NIE) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He is an affiliated faculty member of the NTU Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE) and the NTU Institute for Science and Technology for Humanity (NISTH). He serves as the Director of the World MOON Project and holds editorial roles as Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Education and Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning. He is also the upcoming Program Chair-Elect of the PCEE Division at ASEE. His current research interests include STEM+C education, specifically artificial intelligence literacy, computational thinking, and engineering.

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Abstract

Engineering is a discipline dedicated to designing, developing, and optimizing production systems and relies heavily on laboratory experience. Laboratories play a pivotal role in facilitating coherent learning outcomes from theoretical knowledge and are particularly crucial in enabling engineering students to acquire empirical data for designing and developing products while evaluating their performance on hands-on, remote, and virtual laboratories are three distinct types used in engineering majors, each with advantages and disadvantages. Notably, remote and virtual laboratories have gained prominence in universities worldwide, especially in light of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Remote laboratories have emerged as a primary mode of laboratory learning for engineering students, and remote laboratories are poised to remain a central trend in the future, even as the pandemic abates. The findings highlighted the reasons underlying students' attitudes. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic and content analysis methods. The thematic analysis identified eight five main themes: (1) expectations and academic growth; (2) communication skills; (3) challenges in hands-on learning; (4) virtual learning experience; (5) personal growth and workplace readiness. Students' attitudes towards the three types of laboratories were varied. Hands-on laboratories were favored for essential practical experiences, while remote and virtual laboratories were perceived as efficient and convenient options. In conclusion, personal experiences, gender differences in lab preferences and experience, technological comfort, and individual learning styles all influence these attitudes, and the findings of this study have implications for improving engineering education and future laboratory development.

Deng, Y., & Yeter, I. H. (2024, June), Exploring Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Perspectives on Laboratory Learning: Comparing Hands-On, Remote, and Virtual Environments Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47446

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