Lab-in-a-Box: Strategies to Teach Online Lab Courses While Maintaining Course Learning Objectives and Outcomes

The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech has instituted several nontraditional on-campus laboratory courses during the last decade, including the two required circuits labs in the BSEE and BSCpE curricula1 . The labs utilize a set of equipment known as Lab-in-a-Box (LiaB), which consists of a digital multimeter and a USB-powered oscilloscope with arbitrary function generator as well as a powered breadboard and parts kit. The portable LiaB kit allows the students to perform the labs outside of the classroom. The experiments are designed to reinforce student learning of fundamental concepts and demonstrate complex theorems that are covered in a companion lecture course. The experiments are scheduled so that the students can effectively build upon their theoretical knowledge of circuit analysis, circuit simulation, measurement techniques, and data interpretation as the semester progresses. In addition, the LiaB experiments require the students to perform statistical analysis, program in MATLAB, interpret datasheets, learn/apply debugging techniques, and work on open-ended design projects.