On a New Hybrid Laboratory Approach: Remote Learning and Face-to-Face

Abstract "Abstract: A new hybrid approach to the realization of laboratory experiments has been used in the past year. The new approach was implemented out of necessity due to the pandemic of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The hybrid approach consist of two part approaches: The Remote Learning experiments and the Face-to-Face experiments. The remote learning experiment approach consists of fully contacted experiments by the instructor in a remote location. In this case is the author's personal electrical/electronic laboratory fully equipped with instruments (DC power supply, function generator, dual channel oscilloscope, electronic multi-meter, analog multi-meter) and electronic components (Resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, transistors, switches, relays, motors, leads, breadboards, jumper wires, etc.) serves as the place to contact the experiments. The face-to-face experiment approach consists of fully contacted experiments by the students at the College's laboratory under the direction and supervision of the instructor. The equipment used is similar but not necessarily the same. The instructor performs all the steps of the experiment while the students observe on their computer screen. The instructor does the setup and the measurements parts of the experiment. The students collect the data and complete the appropriate Tables in their laboratory handout by reading the instruments on the screen from a camera. The processing of data is done by the students either individually or in teams. The ZOOM and Blackboard Collaborate services have been use. The personal preference of the instructor is ZOOM because for the view of the whole class. The students work individually and in teams. This approach fully reflects the industrial approach where engineers work either on a specialized project alone or on a part of a big project along with other engineers. The approach prepares them for industrial employment. The laboratory consists of one experiment in a three hour time once a week. The experiment is fully related and integrated with the topic discussed in the lecture-recitation/Socratic discussion. The Laboratory consists of a problem that is solved in three parts: The theoretical, the simulation and the experimental. It should be noted that before the experimental there is a short demonstration to the students intended to transmit experience from a senior colleague to a junior engineer in training. The students will have the opportunity to investigate on their own during the various parts experiment. The three parts approach is used in the industry. The students are in the formation years in their path to become engineers. The students provided with the laboratory assignment that clearly spells out the three part approach with the steps, needed to be completed. The final result of every experiment is a Laboratory Report. The report is a professional prepared document in all it aspects, text, tables, figures, overall organization. The required typical organization of a report is based on the instructor's industrial/research experience. The above described approach was implemented in the laboratories of two engineering level courses taught by the author: Engineering Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) and Electric Circuits. The final product, the Laboratory Report, reflects the level of mastering of the material. In both approaches, remote and face-to-face, the Laboratory Reports, were of equal quality as the previous years, using only face-to-face instruction. Furthermore, at the end of the semester there was a written practical examination with questions from the practice of the laboratory. These were implemented in the laboratory of Engineering Physics II and Electric Circuits. One disadvantage of the remote approach is the final practical examination in which a student is asked to build a circuit and use instruments to perform measurements. This may be rectified by requiring the students to buy a student's basic component kit and one or more instrument. The disadvantage of this approach is the cost: an inexpensive kit will contain instruments of low quality with limited capabilities, while a high quality and high capability instruments will increase the cost prohibitively, and may be out of the scope of a student's laboratory financial reach. A partial solution to this dilemma may be the selection of experiments: the simple ones required inexpensive equipment to be contacted remotely while the more involved that require expensive equipment to be contacted face-to-face at the College fully equipped laboratory. Again a disadvantage of this is that the experiments must be tight to the lecture while the laboratory for face-to-face instruction are available specific days. Further consideration will require optimization taking into account the boundary restrictions. But this is engineering: compromises to get the best outcome: The best practical education of the students. "