creators_name: Kanesan , Muthusamy
creators_name: P. Rajesh, Kumar
creators_name: Sharifah Rosfashida, Syed Abd Latif
type: article
datestamp: 2009-01-02 08:43:32
lastmod: 2009-01-05 01:34:35
metadata_visibility: show
corp_creators: Open University Malaysia (OUM)
title: Virtual laboratories in Engineering education
ispublished: pub
subjects: LC5201
full_text_status: public
keywords: Virtual laboratories ; Engineering education
abstract: Laboratories have always been an integral component of engineering education. However,
the rapid growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has now made it
possible for virtual laboratories to be used as an alternative or to supplement the physical or
real laboratories. Physical laboratories are the traditional laboratories found in universities :
they occupy space, are well equipped and require expertise to function effectively. However,
they come with a high price tag and are not cheap to maintain in the long-run. Moreover, the
number of students taking engineering courses is steadily increasing which makes it harder for
the laboratory instructor to provide personal attention to all students. As a result, universities
are considering other options, such as virtual laboratories, seriously. Virtual laboratories are
used in the ‘any time, anyplace, on-line learning’ world of engineering education. They are also
increasingly being used to supplement the traditional learning modes. This paper reviews the
importance of virtual laboratories and their merits and demerits in engineering education.
date: 2005
date_type: published
publication: Asian Journal of Distance Education
volume: 3
number: 2
publisher: The Asian Society of Open and Distance Education
pagerange: 55-58
refereed: TRUE
issn: 1347-9008
citation:   Kanesan , Muthusamy and P. Rajesh, Kumar and Sharifah Rosfashida, Syed Abd Latif  (2005) Virtual laboratories in Engineering education.  Asian Journal of Distance Education, 3 (2).  pp. 55-58.  ISSN 1347-9008     
document_url: https://library.oum.edu.my/repository/45/1/Virtual_laboratories.pdf