Research Summary: Lab-Tec@Home and perceived complex thinking: gender-related patterns among engineering students

A study on engineering students' self-perceived complex thinking after participating in the Lab-Tec@Home program indicates changes in students' perception of their systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking. This program utilizes low-cost control-engineering kits with MATLAB/Simulink® for remote hands-on experimentation. The research specifically investigated gender-related patterns in these changes among undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering students.

Why it matters

This research provides insights into the effectiveness of remote, hands-on learning interventions in developing critical skills like complex thinking among students. Understanding gender-related patterns in skill development can inform equitable educational strategies and talent pipeline development in technical fields. It highlights the potential for technology-enabled learning to enhance educational outcomes and address accessibility challenges.

Key insights

• Lab-Tec@Home is an educational intervention using low-cost control-engineering kits and MATLAB/Simulink® for remote hands-on experimentation.
• The study assessed changes in students' self-perceived complex thinking, defined as a macro-competency encompassing systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking.
• 121 undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering students participated in the study.
• The eComplexity instrument was used for pre- and post-intervention assessment.
• The analysis included descriptive statistics, paired-samples tests, comparisons of change scores between gender groups, and linear regression models.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1934434