The Labs May Be Closed, but Experiments Must Go on - Innovations to Teaching Mechanical Measurements 1 During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct 15, 2026

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This article presents how Sichuan University–Pittsburgh Institute ensured high-quality mechanical measurements laboratory teaching throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the Mechanical Measurements 1 course as a case study, it details two lab projects converted into online experiments via a remote-control platform and virtual simulation software, plus three projects delivered as “pocket labs” with mailed, low-cost equipment. Video demos, online Q&A, and structured feedback were used to preserve hands-on learning and practical outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Online Experiment

Pocket Lab

The Teaching Team and Roles

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 The Labs May Be Closed, but Experiments Must Go on: Innovations to Teaching Mechanical Measurements 1 During the COVID-19 Pandemic DONG LIANG GUANBO CHEN Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute Chengdu, China HAILIN TIAN Sichuan University Chengdu, China QI LU Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute Chengdu, China ABSTRACT This article describes how the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute has embraced new methods and new technologies to ensure high-quality laboratory teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking Mechanical Measurements 1 course as an example, this paper introduces two lab projects that were successfully transferred into online experiments through remote-control platform and virtual simulation software, as well as three lab projects which were transformed into “pocket labs”where cheap and easy-access equipment was mailed to enable students to conduct experiments at home. Meanwhile, video demos, online Q&A sessions, feedback collection were employed to deliver a realistic lab experience to students. Key words: Experimental teaching, Online experiment, Pocket lab, COVID-19 pandemic INTRODUCTION In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, academic institutions around the world began migrating in-classroom lectures to online teaching as a way of implementing social distancing requirements (Zhou, et al. 2020) . As a result, online educational platforms faced FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION The Labs May Be Closed, but Experiments Must Go on: Innovations to Teaching Mechanical Measurements 1 During the COVID-19 Pandemic incredible new challenges for courses that they were not designed for, especially, laboratory sessions. Some challenges for offering lab-based courses include but are not limited to student attention management, barriers to communication, and inaccessibility to the lab equipment (Roytman and Shah 2020) . With very little time to prepare, the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute (SCUPI) explored possible solutions to ensure the continuity of experimental teaching. The course, Mechanical Measurements 1, which is offered to junior students, is the first course in a sequence pertaining to engineering laboratory measurements. It aims at developing the students’ understanding about lab safety, experiment procedures, data analysis techniques, and gaining hands-on experience with common laboratory tools like power supplies, oscilloscopes, circuit boards, data acquisition units, strain gauges, etc. This course consists of 15 lectures and 5 lab sessions. SCUPI’s online teaching platform, Blackboard and the web-based online conferencing system, BigBlueButton, allowed for the delivery of lecture sessions with relative ease (Huang et al. 2019) . The lecture materials were stored on Blackboard and actual lectures were delivered through the BigBlueButton system. However, it was necessary to redesign lab sessions to guarantee teaching quality and achieve learning outcomes. To this end, the SCUPI lab teaching team successfully implemented two methods to teach the experiment portions of this course: first, we created “online experiments” where the real instruments were accessed remotely via specially designated software (Rohrig and Jochheim 1999); and second, we prepared “pocket labs”(Klinger T, Madritsch 2015) where lab equipment was mailed to the students. This required close coordination among members of the teaching team (see Figure 1 for team roles and responsibilities) . | | | | | --- | --- | --- | |
The teaching team
Instructor Lab engineer Teaching assistant | | | | Job functions | Give lectures Introduce lab safety Provide online guidance
Prepare lab handouts and pre-lab assignments Develop lab projects Produce tutorial videos Develop lab projec

FAQs

How did the institute maintain laboratory teaching quality during the COVID-19 pandemic?

It redesigned lab sessions into remote-access online experiments and home-access “pocket labs,” supported by video demos, online Q&A, and feedback collection.

What characterizes the “online experiments” approach in Mechanical Measurements 1?

Students accessed real instruments remotely through a remote-control platform and built circuits in a virtual simulation environment.

What is included in the “pocket labs” for students at home?

The course optimized lab content and evaluation methods and mailed inexpensive, easy-access equipment so students could conduct experiments at home.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Cart