Contribution: This article presents a Mars Exploration Control Virtual Simulation Experiment Platform (MEC-vslab), which aims to address the current challenge of limited integration between control engineering education and engineering practice. MEC-vslab is oriented toward the practical needs of Mars exploration engineering. It offers…

Contribution: The study examines the predictive and mediating significance of social and teaching presences on cognitive presence in a Community of Inquiry (CoI) mediated by a desktop virtual reality (VR). The findings of this study have implications for how to leverage VR learning environments to support meaningful collaborative engagement.…

Contribution: A remote laboratory system for induction motors was developed in this study. By creating an original simulated induction motor, the structure of the motor can be observed, and the current and magnetic flux can be measured safely. Background: Electrical machinery has little appeal to young engineers. Such machinery deals with…

Contribution: The evaluation of analog-to-digital conversion methods constitutes a key component of an Instrumentation course. This study introduces an affordable educational platform based on Arduino UNO board designed for teaching analog-to-digital conversion concepts, supported by virtual instruments (VIs). Background: ADCs are electronic…

Contribution: This article discusses the use of manufacturing simulation games to study collaborative problem-solving skills in engineering students. The simulation represents the mass production paradigm in which large quantities of identical products are produced. Empirical data is collected from the simulation to evaluate the skills engineering…

Contribution: A 3-D interactive learning environment, from which students of different levels in the control engineering background can benefit regarding classroom demonstration and online experimentation, is present. The findings support that students can benefit from the application of the online laboratory. Background: Control system design is…

Contribution: A systematic approach to MATLAB problem design and automated assessment is described, based on the experience working with the MATLAB server provided by MathWorks and integrated with the edX massive online open class (MOOC) platform. Background: New technologies, such as MOOCs, provide innovative methods to tackle new challenges in…

Contribution: This paper demonstrates positive outcomes from reflection-on-action by engineering students, including meaningful insights on their performance, professional and academic practices, and design knowledge as well as promising preliminary exam results. Background: Literature from the engineering education community underlines the…

Contribution: Student engagement and interest in engineering is compared between virtual and physical laboratory projects, designed to be realistic and replicate engineering practice. Reported motivation and engagement was greater in the virtual project than the physical projects. Results are interpreted in terms of the different affordances for…

Contribution: A hybrid approach involving reduced lecture content with project-based learning (PBL) was introduced to a standalone course in optics at an engineering school not specialized in this area, with promising results. Background: At most schools, optics is an elective "niche" area involving a single senior course. This presents…

This article describes the implementation of a remote access experiment, called Web-lab 1553B (Digital Data Bus Lab), for courses in the Avionics Systems Program. Its main objective is to present a study about the use of two rotation model subgroups: 1) rotation laboratory and 2) station rotation. In the "rotation laboratory" subgroup,…

This paper describes a new Web portal offering experimental labs for ubiquitous training of university engineering students in work-related risk prevention. The Web-accessible computer program simulates the noise and machine vibrations met in the work environment, in a series of virtual laboratories that mimic an actual laboratory and provide the…

Contribution: There are many on-line resources available to learn about optics and photonics, but no assessment tools exist to evaluate the learning achievements. This paper presents an assessment framework whose validity has been proven on a course with over 70 engineering students. Background: There is evidence that on-line resources complement…

Teaching in university engineering departments is currently facing a number of challenges, especially for those involved in the most innovative and dynamic areas of information and communication technology. Learning model developments that place greater weight on laboratory activities require investment in specific equipment that is often very…

This paper presents a tool, LABEL, oriented to the teaching of parallel robotics. The application, organized as a set of tools developed using Easy Java Simulations, enables the study of the kinematics of parallel robotics. A set of classical parallel structures was implemented such that LABEL can solve the inverse and direct kinematic problem of…