Low-cost and high-precision labs to promote active learning in online learning environments

COVID-19 forced online learning at all levels. It raised a problem for the teaching of engineering classes where laboratory work is essential for the learning process. To address this problem, we used the current capabilities of cell phones, visual processing software, and social networks to design a set of lab activities that could be reproduced at home by each student at a low cost. We developed an exploratory study where we implemented one of those lab activities in a physics course and investigated the impact of this activity on the learning gain of students. We implemented the activity in a large group of students (69) and compared with a control group of students (12) that did not participate in the activity in order to evaluate the knowledge gained by the participants. Results showed that students that carried out our proposed lab activity increased their learning gain (20%) and obtained better scores in their knowledge tests (76.98 ± 3.21 pre-test versus 92.56 ± 3.18 post-test).