Integrated Virtual Laboratory in Engineering Mathematics Education: Fourier Theory

Abstract

In this paper, we present a virtual learning laboratory environment for undergraduate mathematics education using an inquiry-based learning approach. The Visible Thinking pedagogical framework is also suggested to achieve a good complement to traditional lecture-tutorial systems. The virtual laboratory is implemented in an open-access Java interactive software. We demonstrate a viable instruction procedure, providing a set of virtual laboratory activities with real-world applications spanning signal processing, data science and analytics, sustainable infrastructure engineering, and theoretical physics. A preliminary study on a pilot cohort indicates that the proposed virtual laboratory can enhance students' learning. The virtual laboratory implementation is scalable and can be easily expanded in scope to other mathematical topics; transitioning to a tablet-based system for use in smart classrooms is also readily achieved. The Java interactive software is freely available on Open Science Framework.

Keywords

• Virtual laboratory
• engineering mathematics
• Fourier theory
• interdisciplinary
• education
• data science