TinkerCad - A Web Based Application for Virtual Labs to help Learners Think, Create and Make

Amid COVID-19 shutdowns, in-person lectures and live lab classes have been suspended worldwide. In this scenario, digital instruction and sources can be a feasible alternate. In view of this, Virtual labs are a great approach to the web-based digital learning. These labs are available round the clock and provide for realistic abilities of science to the learners. Circuit simulators like LTSpice, PSpice, EasyEDA Simulator, Proteus by Lab center etc are advanced platforms for developers and planners hoping to become familiar with the nuts and bolts of circuit plan and schematics. However, these simulation tools do not offer a platform for all the students under one roof and do not allow the instructor to monitor their work as they progress with circuit building and simulation. This is made possible with a web-based software called Tinkercad which is free to use and can run directly in your web browser. Educators can monitor what students plan and reproduce in a virtual classroom in Tinkercad. It enables hands-on journey and sense of working inside the actual lab environment and allows the user to hook a wide array of electrical components together, program an Arduino and simulate analog and digital behaviour. This paper describes a case study of use of this software for lab simulation and describe some of its limitations. Details of survey responses from around 300 students demonstrate the efficacy of the Tinkercad platform compared to other simulation software available for engaging students in learning key hands-on lab skills.