Virtual laboratory, a learning resource for distance education

Distance education programs have grown rapidly in recent years and have become even more massive because of the restrictions on movement due to the covid 19 pandemic. The development of information technologies has helped this teaching modality to have good results due to its autonomy and flexibility, however, it has some points of improvement especially in activities of practical nature. Virtual laboratories appear as a tool to support this type of activities. The success of these laboratories depends on several factors, not only imitating a face-to-face laboratory. This article proposes a methodology to guide the process of design and development of immersive experiences that allow the realization of laboratory activities in distance education mode. The objective is to ensure that the development of this type of experience becomes a resource to help the teaching-learning process, ensuring its contribution to the achievement of learning outcomes, allowing the validation of the knowledge acquired by students and helping the professor in the teaching of the course. The proposed methodology considers the opinion of the coordinating committee of the distance education program, students and professors. Its application is presented through a case study of a distance education program of an industrial engineering school in a Chilean university.