Thinking outside the box - Virtual, intercultural labs in engineering education

Abstract

[EN] An important part of engineering education is specific training in laboratories. If done properly, such a hands-on approach is much more effective than pure lectures, where knowledge is only passively absorbed. The traditional lab is usually on-site, requires students to be on campus, and learning content is restricted to the particular focus of that institution. For this reason, five European universities formed a partnership and developed a joint platform that offers experiments conducted in virtual labs. This way students profit from the expertise of different institutions, while gaining intercultural work experience. Additionally, virtual labs reduce the immense expense of student mobility, are more inclusive towards minority groups and reduce costs of universities in the long term. Virtual labs have shown to be an effective way to improve engineering education for students and teaching staff alike.