Usage Calculation

Virtual Labs can be used in the following ways:

1. To support the syllabus.
2. Beyond the syllabus.
3. To support an interdisciplinary approach. Applicable for all disciplines
4. To develop communication skills. (Virtual english lab https://ve-iitg.vlabs.ac.in/ ) Applicable for all disciplines
5. To support soft skills. (like programming labs (Computer programming lab,Python Programming Lab, Problem Solving Lab etc) . Applicable for all disciplines .

How to calculate the usage:

Let's say you have 500 intake capacity in the first year.

• One can plan 5 expt from physics, 5 expt from chemistry, 5 expt from programming and 5 expt from Mech/ Ele/ Etc /Civil.
• Total 20 expt per student for the first year in the whole year.
• 20 expt * 500 students of first year gives 10,000 usage count from the first year only.
• Similarly 10 expt per students for second year students in whole year gives you 500*10 = 5,000 usage count
• In general it is possible to reach 25,000 usage count in a year with the intake capacity of 500 students.

The number of usage is the representation of what and how the students will be benefited. Once the students are made aware, they will / can use the virtual lab in many ways.

In what way the students can get benefited by virtual labs:

1. Help to build the confidence and motivate the students to perform the physical experiment specially for the students from the ruler areas.
2. They can write a seminar report by doing analysis on one the experiment by variaying some parameters and plotting and analyzing the output parameters.
3. Can help in developing mini projects, if some of the part involves interdisciplinary content.
4. Can help in developing the project, like selection of the circuits, sensors, mechanical components etc.
5. Most important students can virtually perform the experiment on their own which is going to help in performing the experiment in the final practical examination.
6. Students May be motivated to code their own lab to be hosted on a national level platform under the guidance of the faculty which could be part of their final year project.

In what way faculty can get benefited by virtual labs:

1. To target the higher cognitive level. To achieve higher cognitive level data generation could be one of the important steps which involves mechanical calculations. Such a time consuming task is difficult to achieve in a limited time frame. One can use the virtual lab as a teaching assistant in classroom teaching and generate the data points which in turn helps direct higher cognitive levels like analysis, evaluation and conclusion.
2. Before performing physical experiments the students can be made aware of connections, procedure, various components and protocols of the experiments.
3. Faculty can present papers on various topics like Effectiveness of the virtual lab during the practical sessions, How the virtual lab helps in achieving the higher cognitive level in classroom teaching. Many faculty have already done that. Various statistical tools and methods are available to be used in many ways.
4. For younger faculty it may help in the design of experiments and purchase of new equipment.