Flexible and self-directed learning in laboratory courses – Remote laboratories in higher education

Laboratory courses have become an integral part of technical and scientific higher education. Megatrends such as digitalisation are also leading to changes. On the one hand, digital technologies can enable more flexible learning; but on the other hand, they can also demand and foster a higher degree of student self-direction. Drawing on an evaluation of a redesigned laboratory course, this paper shows how more flexible learning can be configured. Students and teachers rate the new concept positively, but also see room for improvement in terms of time and location. In the future this will be enabled by the use of a remote laboratory.