Abstract:

Since 2020, the global situation of the pandemic forced teachers to adopt remote activities to continue with educational processes in schools.
In the Faculty of Engineering (UNAM), students of Electrical and Electronic Engineering study several laboratories which, in person, constitute a good complement to the theoretical classes. Here, they consolidate their theoretical knowledge.

When the pandemic came, classes became remote using communication platforms (Zoom or Meet). However, to carry out the learning process that manifests itself in a laboratory and the realization of practical activities, the distance process is more complex, since the students do not have the opportunity to live the experimental activities.

In the case of digital electronics we live with this situation. The students consolidate the theoretical concepts by experimental activities. They experiment the construction and the operation of their circuits, even to observe when a circuit is poorly designed or assembled.

The Digital Electronics subject is structured in two parts: theoretical sessions, where students learn the concepts to be able to design electronic circuits; and practical sessions in the laboratory, where students design circuits to solve problems.

So, the methodology of "learning by doing" applied in solving problems encourages critical reasoning on how to apply theoretical concepts and put them into practice, to obtain learning based on experiences. This methodology was applied as follows:
1. Problems solving. The activities are structured through 8 practices, with a practical problem each one. The students work in pairs.
2. Analyze and propose solutions, using the theoretical concepts. The students make a design of their proposed circuit on paper.
3. Experimental application. They develop their proposal and test it to see if the expected result is achieved. If necessary, they can rethink their proposal.

In person, students develop circuits with electronic components and corresponding measuring equipment.
Remotely, the students lack the equipment, which does not allow them to verify the operation of their designs.

The alternative of using the Intel-Altera modules perfectly solved this situation, since it is possible to verify the operation of any design, working with a PC and using the hardware programming software, which includes simulation processes.

In both cases the experience is very similar:
1. The circuit design theory is verified, through the critical analysis of the problems raised
2. The students observe how their designs are focused to the solution of the problems.
3. Students learn from the experience of creating, implementing, and observing the operation of their designed circuits.

The way to evaluate student learning is through the solution to the problems raised in each practice and through the solution to the project raised at the end of the course with a big problem in which they should know the concepts and the processes to design their circuits. Likewise, they are asked to explain the processes of experimentation and implementation of their proposal and how they solve the problem.

Here, I´ve observed how has been their interaction with the Intel-Altera module and how learning has been enriched with the processes experienced by them in the implementation of their designs: transfer of the design on paper to the hardware, design feedback based on performance analysis, performance visualization based on solution.

Keywords:

Digital Electronics, Remote Laboratory, Practical activities, Development cards.