Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 733 de 957
Figure 4: Overall marks corresponding to academic year 2010/2011 (with virtual experiments). N=67
Although the average remains constant (17 points) for both years, there are significant
differences. First, the ratio of students dropping down the subject has decreased from 10%
to less than 5%, while the percentage of students who pass the subject has increased up to
75%. The minimum mark grew from 6/35 (2009/10) to 10/35 (2010/2011) and the
threshold for passing the subject has also increased from 12.5 to 14 points. The mark
distribution for this year is more concentrated, particularly as a result of the better
marks obtained by the weaker students, who would have benefitted by the extra
motivation arising from the virtual tests.
Conclusions
Virtual laboratories are not free of problems (Cooper, 2005), but the advantages of this
“virtual experiment” approach are manifold. First, sophisticated experiments can be
designed and there is no limitation to the number of students. In our case, 75 students
were able to successfully complete two complex experiments which had been conceived
for a maximum of 15. There are no limitations deriving from timetables or physical
location. The teaching staff showed a high level of satisfaction due to the fact that standard
laboratories demand a large amount of time devoted to highly repetitive tasks. Students
have outlined the flexibility of this approach and have welcomed its use. Although not
conclusively proven, virtual tests seem to have improved the overall performance in the
subject, particularly those students with lower marks, who are more sensitive –or even
prone- to lack of motivation. This approach avoids excessive guidance and makes space for
the students' initiative, therefore promoting their autonomous learning. Enhancement of
the students' IT skills can be considered a beneficial side effect of the virtual experiments.
To sum up, and taking into account that this has been a first attempt, the desired transition
from a passive essential student profile to an active remote student one has been achieved
to a considerable extent.
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011