Abstract:

The introduction of e-learning in universities at the beginning of the pandemic proved to be a serious obstacle but provided an opportunity to create additional skills, competencies in teachers and students. The use of this type of student training was not known to them and teachers until before the pandemic.

In the application of the traditional method of teaching to a greater extent, various means and methods are used to present the relevant theoretical and practical material. This type of equipment is the use of various information and communication technologies and the corresponding laboratory models and stands. Of course, this would be logical to use in such a case of teaching, but in the situation in which there is an inability of students to directly use the relevant models or stands, it would be rational and appropriate to apply the distance learning method or various virtual laboratories in the relevant subjects. This method in such an unfavorable epidemiological situation is the only opportunity to organize and conduct the educational process in the relevant areas and disciplines in higher engineering education.

Over the past year and a half, a pandemic that has led to the distance between teachers and students has created conditions for analyzing and building new approaches, methods, and tools for teaching relevant material. It also provided opportunities to make an objective assessment of the computer interaction between the individual subjects in the educational process and to identify the relevant risks and losses from the lack of direct communication.

The construction of virtual laboratories using artificial intelligence is an important moment in the development of this publication by the author's team.
The idea of this publication is to consider the main trends and situations related to the possibilities of integrating artificial intelligence in virtual laboratories, thus providing a wider range of opportunities for students studying various engineering disciplines in higher education.

Also, to create interest and provoke curiosity and desire in students to use modern technological means to perceive complex theoretical material, through which to solve a set of tasks, such as image recognition, design of elements or details, reading sound and text, and others.

The creation of knowledge and skills in the field of coding and artificial intelligence in general, and its timely use by students in virtual laboratories would help to create and build various project-based developments in the real world. This would be a prerequisite for their timely integration in the development of new educational programs, STEM modules, and others that can be used to train students at the Faculty of Physics and Technology of Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski".

The article presents analyzes of the main provisions related to the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the construction of virtual laboratories for training students in engineering.

Gaining experience in the field of artificial intelligence and its incorporation in virtual laboratories in various disciplines is important for creating specialized skills, competencies, and capabilities of students in the field of computer science, mechanical engineering, and others. In this way, the goal is to increase the qualification of students and gain more confidence on their part.

Keywords:

Pandemic, e-learning, virtual laboratory, artificial intelligence.