Virtual Learning Environments

Engineering sciences are currently facing the challenge of adapting to the increasing numbers of graduating students. In dealing with this, it is not only important to extend the capacities of places, but also to be continuously questioning, criticizing and thus improving the contents of study. This task – to improve teaching while at the same time increasing capacities – is addressed by the ELLI-project. One approach here is to improve the learning experience by means of virtual laboratories.
Due to the growing demand, it becomes increasingly difficult for engineering faculties to grant the availability of laboratories for all students in application-oriented teaching. Furthermore, only a minority is given the possibility of gaining experiences in testing environments which are potentially dangerous, difficult to access or install.

Virtual learning environments shall provide the solution to this deficit: They are intended to serve as didactic support and to promote a more active and profound way of dealing with learning contents. In order to transfer reality into a virtual world, the project aims at creating and improving real testing environments and simulations that are remote-controlled. A natural access to the learning contents is prioritized. Thus, the goal is to bridge the artificiality of virtual labs as they are being used so far by applying modern, natural interfaces and providing real testing environments.

 

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