Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the sudden change from the face-to-face modality to the online modality in all the Faculty of Engineering subjects of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In the Basic Sciences Division laboratories of Physics and Chemistry subjects, the decision was made that, instead of carrying out experimental practices, similar activities would be carried out based on existing simulators and videos of the activities considered.

In the particular case of the Electricity and Magnetism laboratory practices, although the version with simulators was acceptable, it was determined that student learning could be improved in some practices with the creation of specific material. Among the proposals are the creation of better simulators attached to existing practices, as well as designing practices with the use of augmented reality and with the possibility of being carried out remotely.

Next, the design process of the remote realization practice entitled "Force of magnetic origin on conductors" will be described. In this work, a product design methodology was applied, integrating the identification of the problem, its analysis, the search for solution options, the selection of the best solution and its specification. Likewise, an attempt has been made to employ ideas from Ulrich's design methodology.

The mechanism created to facilitate the remote realization of the mentioned practice is integrated by its mechanical part, its electronic circuitry and its control program based on a user interface. Since the students will carry out the practice through Internet, said user interface must be able to allow the data recording from the experiment by means of a web camera with which the covers of a digital scale and a power source could be visualized.

The device design for the remote realization of this practice is part of the institutional project PE109021 called Design of didactic material and devices for the implementation of experimental remote practices in the Basic Sciences Division, as part of the UNAM Support Program for Projects for the Innovation and Improvement of Teaching (PAPIME); and so the platform that will allow the administration of the practice, including the data flow and the interface with the user, will be applied to all the proposals of remote realization practices.

The students who participated in the pilot tests of the system operating for the remote realization of the practice “Force of magnetic origin on conductors”, said that their operation was moreless intuitive and that the instructions provided by the user interface and the manual complementary were enough to develop the activity satisfactorily.

Although the results were obtained in the operating tests, including it in the remote practices administration system and operating it through the Internet, it was noted that a delay is generated, both in the sending of commands for the operation of the actuators, as in the video images obtained, in the best cases of about two seconds. For this reason, it is required to redesign some aspects of the functioning of this device so that the mentioned delay affects as little as possible, which is very difficult to avoid.

Keywords:

Remote practice, design practice, remote lab.