  Active Learning (AL) is a well-known teaching method in engineering because
it allows to foster learning and critical thinking of the students by employing
debate, hands-on activities, and experimentation. However, most educational
results of this instructional method have been achieved in face-to-face
educational settings and less has been said about how to promote AL and
experimentation for online engineering education. Then, the main aim of this
study was to create an AL methodology to learn electronics, physical computing
(PhyC), programming, and basic robotics in engineering through hands-on
activities and active experimentation in online environments. N=56 students of
two engineering programs (Technology in Electronics and Industrial Engineering)
participated in the methodology that was conceived using the guidelines of the
Integrated Course Design Model (ICDM) and in some courses combining mobile and
online learning with an Android app. The methodology gathered three main
components: (1) In-home laboratories performed through low-cost hardware
devices, (2) Student-created videos and blogs to evidence the development of
skills, and (3) Teacher support and feedback. Data in the courses were
collected through surveys, evaluation rubrics, semi-structured interviews, and
students grades and were analyzed through a mixed approach. The outcomes
indicate a good perception of the PhyC and programming activities by the
students and suggest that these influence motivation, self-efficacy, reduction
of anxiety, and improvement of academic performance in the courses. The
methodology and previous results can be useful for researchers and
practitioners interested in developing AL methodologies or strategies in
engineering with online, mobile, or blended learning modalities.
