University of Southampton Malaysia brings the engineering lab to every student’s home

Responding to the ongoing lockdown or (Movement Control Order) that is currently underway in Malaysia the University of Southampton Malaysia has lent all its MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering students a BitScope* to enable them to participate in practical’s whilst continuing to engage in online learning.

Bitscope and other associated components are loaned to students during the shutdown period to facilitate some of the virtual laboratories. It’s true that nothing beats the experience of a hands-on activity in an actual lab setting but lecturers would normally guide students in a laboratory setting, only they’re doing it remotely through Microsoft Teams. 

The advantage of having this equipment at home ensures students can continue to explore by using these instruments outside the scheduled laboratory sessions. 

Assistant Professor Dr. Low Siow Yong, Head of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme at Southampton Malaysia, said:

“We are constantly adapting and making use of the resources we have to facilitate the best learning environment for students. The USB based oscilloscope is one good example where we continue some of the practical sessions despite the shutdown.

Students continue to learn the technical skills through these hands-on experiences and as importantly, through this process, they also pick up many transferable skills such as communication and time management. At the end of the day, we graduate engineers, not just graduates.” 

Anya Voon:

“I think virtual lab environments are definitely more challenging to navigate because it is harder to get advise from lecturers. Having to communicate the problems you are facing to the lecturers in a clear manner is very important in order to get help.

However, I have been able to go through the past few virtual labs due to the continuous support and extra effort from my lecturers in assisting me when I faced difficulties.” 
 
* A BitScope is a USB based tool to generate signals and do measurements