Abstract:

Online teaching, especially in higher education, is a constantly evolving and changing environment, especially as a result of the circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. This anomaly has led to the accelerated adoption of the digital medium as a classroom medium, which has required both methodological changes and constant adaptation from the teachers.

Online education offers its own advantages, but also poses unique challenges. Among the latter is the practical side of teaching and how it can be developed in an online environment. A particular case are virtual laboratories, where students perform tasks in subject-specific and dedicated environments. The spatial limitations of the online setting present inherent challenges to their adaptation. It is for this reason that the case study of the School of Engineering and Technology (Escuela Superior de Ingeniería y Tecnología – ESIT) of the Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR) is presented. UNIR teaches its degrees in an online format, making it the ideal institution for this study. At ESIT, virtual laboratory-type class sessions are being implemented in many subjects, with the purpose of helping students to successfully gain the competences required by their courses. The present study aims to gather the main characteristics of these laboratories and their types and, subsequently, to make a proposal of good teaching practices in order to unify criteria and methodologies.

This study has required identifying relevant teachers, selected by their experience in teaching virtual laboratories, their evaluation by students, the number of students involced and the variety of degrees they cover. Having identified them, semi-structured interviews were then carried out with them. The following step consisted of analyzing the information collected in order to identify the different kinds of laboratory models taught and develop a guide of good practices.

Two main virtual laboratory models were identified. The first one involves the resolution of a problem by the teacher, who exemplifies it and interacts with the students during the process, while the second is the resolution by the students of a practical problem given by the teacher.

Furthermore, this study has made it possible to identify four distinct phases within the laboratories: a preliminary phase prior to the start of the laboratory, an introductory phase, a collaborative work phase, and a final phase. The recommendations that have been developed are adapted to the characteristics of each one of them.

Among the preliminary conclusions found we can highlight the need for flexibility and adaptation in the tasks planned, the importance of creating separate contents to present the activity and to give to students, as well as relevance of an informal evaluation at the end of the session as a tool to assess student learning.

Keywords:

Virtual laboratory, online teaching, workshops, best practices.