Remote Laboratories Integration into Electronics Engineer Curricula

Nowadays, there is an extensive variety of tools to provide theoretical contents and activities for any learning methodology derived from distance education: videos, e-documents, tutorials, peer-to-peer reviews, forums, etc. These tools, by an efficient and appropriate selection from teachers and use from students, can complement or replace successfully in-person education, even they can reach some aspects that in-person education cannot achieve. Unfortunately, practical aspects are not as developed as theoretical ones are despite distance education is being promoted from many sectors. Traditionally, simulators have been the first option to provide an experimental environment. However, simulators are far from provide real-life operation conditions or the disadvantages that real systems have. The experimentation allows students the interaction with real components, equipment and instruments, the verification of the theoretical laws governing the behavior of electric and electronic circuits or the analysis of non-desired effects. Unfortunately, laboratory resources are limited because of their availability, costs, requirement of specialized personnel during practical sessions, etc. This restraint induces in students a trend to address practical experiences separately from theoretical contents, as if they were two activities non-related to each other. The emergence of remote laboratories has provided new horizons in the learning process and has brought new challenges in teaching design. Remote laboratories are being used in many ways and obeying different learning strategies. In this paper, we will analyze how VISIR (Virtual Instruments System In Reality) remote laboratory has been applied in different learning environments and its influence over the learning processes at Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED).