Virtual Environment in Engineering Education: The Role of Guidance, Knowledge and Skills Development in Electronic Circuits Teaching

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies can create effective learning experiences and might enhance students’ knowledge and skills. In particular, virtual technologies are emerging as a transformative tool in education, in areas such as electronic circuits. Studies have shown that virtual environments in electronic circuit education could provide students with immersive learning experiences, facilitating the practical application of circuit theory in a cost-effective and safe manner. Yet, this field, and especially the operational amplifiers, is limitedly explored regarding the most efficient approach to knowledge and skills development along with the role of teacher’s guidance. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of a virtual environment on 138 engineering students’ outcomes using a pre-/post-test design. For the data analysis, among other methods, t-tests, ANCOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA were employed. Based on our results, the virtual setting can affect positively the students’ knowledge and improve their skills, revealing a correlation between these two aspects. Regarding the impact of guidance, our analysis showed that although students who received guidance generally performed better than those who did not, the differences were not statistically significant. Thus, this paper aims to serve as a useful guideline for educators and researchers willing to explore the circuit field utilizing virtual tools.