Digital Laboratories - A New Pedagogical Approach

This paper presents the recent status of a PhD thesis research, with an innovative proposal for the development of Digital Systems Laboratory classes in Engineering Schools. The described system uses IT and Communication over Internet in order to improve the professor´s interaction, multiplying his presence and his support for the students. Joining the flexibility of distance learning with the interactivity and the intensive support of the traditional presential learning, this system permits to enlarge the delivered contents and learning efficiency of a basic and conceptual discipline. Further, a new evaluation and approval procedure is developed and applied. This methodology permits to ensure that the approved student actually knows the entire transmitted knowledge and by using a new concept, evaluation grade, it is possible to measure the difficulties of each student in passing through this learning process. This system could be applied with small changes in other knowledge areas.