The sudden change in teaching from classroom to online because of the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that digital teaching is in general possible. However, difficulties of rapid practical implementation of digital teaching coming from the lack of clear digital teaching and evaluation concepts have become apparent. Particularly, courses dealing with laboratory experiments and practice are among the most challenging aspects of digitalization in teaching. This is especially true for the university research-oriented study of civil engineering, where participation in laboratory experiments is a natural part of classroom teaching. To overcome the issue with such courses, the use of mixed and virtual reality is foreseen as tools providing students possibilities to attend laboratories virtually and, thus, broadening digital teaching of civil engineering courses. It shall support students in creating a so-called "mental model". In the case of digital learning, the student evidently cannot participate in laboratory experiments, and the real laboratory experience cannot be fully replaced by a video or online translation, whereas virtual and augmented reality techniques provide excellent opportunities to replicate real laboratory experience in a virtual environment. The strategic partnership makes a significant contribution to establishing virtual experimental setups, as different laboratory equipment (shaking table, wind tunnel, and fire resistance laboratory) are brought together and can be used by students of all partners, as well as by external interested parties in the future. This result is an added value for all partners and Europe. In addition, the provision of virtual rooms creates additional tools to make digital teaching more varied.
The concept of the project is achieved through three intellectual outputs, as demonstrated in (Figure 1):
- Intellectual Output 1 (IO1): Instructional design guide – didactics of media learning environments
- Expected results: Methodological framework summarized in text and published with examples.
- Intellectual Output 2 (IO2): Methods and algorithms for digital learning tools evaluation
- Expected results: a set of guidelines for evaluation, including measures summarized in text and published as well as tools for quantitative analysis.
- Intellectual Output 3 (IO3): Remote-access Experiments in Structural Engineering
- Expected results: A set of experiments accessible in a virtual environment on a free accessible web-platform. Corresponding publications to support the dissemination and knowledge about it.
The project will start with the elaboration of an instructional design guide (IO1) to address the possibilities and offers of eLearning incorporating virtual environments for experiments towards different learning methods (synchronous and asynchronous), possible combinations, and corresponding appropriate tools. In part of it, RUB will offer an eLearning didactic course for lecturers of all partners to support the development of their pedagogical and didactic skills. Further, BUW will offer an intensive program for all partners training e-tutors for the technical support and implementation of different learning media within the project and beyond. In parallel partners – led by UA – will work on understanding the pedagogical value of international digital exchange by considering lessons from comparable HEIs, existing digital curricula, goals, and program designs, as well as by observing benefits among learners, educators, and HEI’s culture.
IO1 and IO2 will result in guidelines/concepts for the planned pilot M.Sc. and Ph.D. courses. Based on the benchmark test all partner leaders will be able to assess their education products and services in the context of their HEI’s education goals and objectives. IO3 will start later, than IO1 and IO2, thus allowing to integrate results of the first two IOs directly from the beginning. IO3 focuses on the elaboration and provision of digital/virtual laboratory experiments to support European civil engineering higher education, and thus, making an essential contribution to the understanding of teaching materials by the students. The main objective of the project is achieving the availability of various laboratory experiments, which are not a part of standard education at each university, but are carried out at specialized institutes. The elaborated datasets will be open-accessible published on the project platform. The finalization of IO3 leads to the achievement of the project objectives and builds the basis for the pilot M.Sc. course to be organized in the winter semester 2022/23.
