Engineering Education Procedures Based On Computer Simulation Resources As An Alternative For Laboratory Facilities

When teaching the majority of the disciplines of an Engineering Course, of any specialty, it is of fundamental importance that theory classes could be connected to experimentation, in order to give to the students the necessary perception of the actual applicability of any new knowledge. In developing countries it is nearly an utopia to try the application of the full experimental teaching methodology, in face of the high costs of laboratory facilities that only a few Schools of Engineering can afford. As a consequence, a significant number of professionals are not really prepared after finishing their courses, demanding a long time of training after graduation and, frequently, a personal deception with the career. It is in this scenario that the availability of computational resources adapted for mathematical simulation appears as a methodological alternative to experimental classes, with the creation of virtual laboratories that imply in a very significant reduction in costs.