Virtual Laboratory: A Boon to the Mechanical Engineering Education During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The engineering students understand the engineering concepts effectively when they conduct the experiments in the laboratory. Hence, laboratory is as important as theory; however, the ill-equipped laboratory facilities affect the students’ learnability. The virtual laboratories may help the students overcome the problems faced by them in the conventional laboratory. In India, educational activities during the middle of the semester were affected due to lockdown related to COVID-19. However, the theory classes were conducted online, and educational institutions are finding it difficult to complete the laboratory experiments due to closure of colleges for the students due to COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, we have conducted a faculty development programme for the engineering college faculty members on mechanical engineering virtual laboratories. Similarly, we have trained the mechanical engineering students on fluid mechanics virtual laboratory. We have taken feedback from the participants of these virtual laboratory training programme and analysed it. From the analysis we have observed that more than 90 per cent of the participants were happy about the virtual laboratory and they expressed that their learning process improved with virtual laboratory experiments. Also, they felt that the virtual laboratories can be used till the COVID-19 pandemic issues are solved. Since the vaccine for COVID-19 is not available yet, the virtual laboratories will help the mechanical engineering students to conduct the laboratory experiments for the academic year 2020–2021.

Design and Implementation of a Virtual Laboratory for Physics Subjects in Moroccan Universities

“…While the theory classes were conducted online, the educational institutions found it difficult to complete the syllabus concerning the laboratory experiments due to the closure of universities as well as conventional laboratories. Kapilan et al [74] presented the exploitation of virtual laboratories based on simulation during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing learners of mechanical engineering education the opportunity to complete the planned laboratory experiments; the learners' feedback in this study indicated that the virtual laboratories helped them to understand the theoretical concepts, and they felt that it was necessary to introduce virtual laboratories into the engineering curriculum. García-Vela et al's study [75] recommended maintaining the use of the virtual spaces developed during the pandemic as a resource to reinforce the teaching and learning process.…”

Remote Lab Activities in a Digital Age

“…Then videos on real laboratory experiments had also been shared for the comparison of virtual and real experimental results. Finally, a questionnaire had been provided to the students to obtain feedback (Kapilan et al, 2021). The majority of the faculty members had denoted that they have improved in terms of knowledge and skills.…”

“…Further, as the study shows the students are comfortable in participating in the virtual labs, where a few students had mentioned that they had network connectivity issues in participating the virtual labs. Moreover, as Figure 5 shows more than half of the students had selected that quality of learning increases from the virtual labs and virtual labs needs to be introduced into the curriculum also (Kapilan et al, 2021). According to Figure 5, the majority (77%) of students had selected that they require virtual labs for the higher semesters also.…”

“…Internet connectivity issues, the absence of an interactive learning environment, lack of the required devices to carry out the experiments are a few issues identified in the study. Though a few issues exist, the overall impression and importance towards the virtual labs had been identified through the study (Kapilan et al, 2021). The research study discussed below is also utilize virtual equipment and laboratories, in science and engineering education.…”

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“…Then videos on real laboratory experiments had also been shared for the comparison of virtual and real experimental results. Finally, a questionnaire had been provided to the students to obtain feedback (Kapilan et al, 2021).…”