Teaching Circuit Theory using a Desktop VR System

This paper discusses the effective contribution of a Learning Object (LO) to teach Circuit Theory based on research conducted with students of higher education, and their interaction with a teacher of Circuit Theory. It presents a prototype model of virtual reality whose goal is to develop skills and competencies and has the ability to be used both as a virtual electrical manual and an educational tool for students in the first year of an Electrical Engineering course. The potential of virtual reality is stressed as being of major usefulness in future study and work scenarios. Virtual Reality (VR) has the advantage of being secure and offers the user the opportunity of being presented with scenarios and conditions that may occur infrequently or may be risky. It is in this perspective that this work was conceived having as goal the development of a LO and the improvement in understanding of physical concepts, in particular those involved with the subject of electrical circuits. It has also as objective to characterize the learning process through a series of situations that are replicated, leading to a set of behaviors from the students. It is assumed that the use of this tool can help acquiring a specific set of skills, a better practice and meaningful learning.