Increasing the effectiveness of ‘Power Electronics’ classes using a supplementary web-based virtual laboratory setup to impart CDIO skills

Power electronics is an engineering field dealing with the control and conversion of electrical energy. Many institutions are using CDIO (Conceive/Design/Implement/Operate) framework for their curricular planning and outcome-based assessment which demands huge self-learning. A virtual laboratory is an online platform allowing users to conduct simulations in a digital environment to improve self-learning. In this work, a virtual laboratory which provides an interactive platform for students to learn and experiment with power electronics circuits and devices, without the need for physical equipment is developed. The laboratory consists of a web-based interface that simulates the behaviour of different power electronics circuits. Learners can select different components and parameters to build and test circuits, and observe the results in real-time. The virtual laboratory also provides access to various measurement tools to analyse the behaviour of the circuits. The virtual laboratory has been designed to provide a user-friendly and intuitive interface, with detailed instructions and feedback to support students' learning. The laboratory has been integrated into a power electronics course. Feedback is collected through surveys from a total of 75 students including open ended questions and Likert responses. The learning of two set of students with and without using virtual lab before doing physical experimentation are assessed using a descriptive test. CDIO components analysis is done with the results of Mini projects developed by the students. The results indicate that the virtual laboratory provides a valuable and engaging learning experience and improves learning.