The Cockpit: An Effective Metaphor for Web-based Experimentation in Engineering Education*

Web-based experimentation is a key feature in the deployment of eLearning solutions for engineering education. At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Web-based experimentation is deployed thanks to a comprehensive environment called the Cockpit. This environment integrates all the components necessary to carry out hands-on practice in a flexible learning context. The Cockpit metaphor has shown to be an effective way to compensate for remoteness and to sustain active learning, interaction, collaboration and knowledge appropriation. Preliminary evaluations have shown both the effectiveness of the chosen solutions and the challenge of deploying a flexible learning approach in a traditional academic institution.