Transforming electronic labs through experiential education: A survey of higher Educational practices in Ireland during the pandemic

This paper examines the shift to remote and distance learning in experiential education for electronic, electrical, and computer engineering courses in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. As higher education institutions were required to redesign laboratory sessions for remote delivery, the study identifies and categorises the approaches adopted across engineering faculties at Irish third-level institutions. Data were collected from 33 respondents representing 12 higher education institutions, exploring the implementation and perceived effectiveness of different remote laboratory methods. The findings identify five delivery models: learning simulations, remote lab kits, electronic lab notebooks/e-books, portfolios/formative assessment, and Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Institutional responses largely converged on two approaches—learning simulations and take-home hardware kits—reflecting pragmatic solutions under pandemic constraints. Remote laboratory kits accounted for approximately 37% of responses, while learning simulations represented 26% of reported implementations. Respondents consistently reported a trade-off between scalability and pedagogical value. Learning simulations were preferred for larger cohorts and limited resources, whereas take-home hardware kits were considered more effective for developing practical skills but required greater implementation effort. The study highlights how emergency teaching conditions influenced decision-making, leading to solutions that balanced continuity of experiential learning with operational feasibility rather than optimised instructional design.