Ambiente virtual para instalações elétricas prediais: uma proposta de desenvolvimento e validação no ensino e aprendizagem de engenharia elétrica

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and validate a virtual environment designed as an educational game to support the teaching and learning of residential electrical installations, investigating its potential to foster meaningful learning and student engagement. The research was conducted at the Federal Institute of Bahia – Paulo Afonso Campus, following a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups defined by the natural distribution of classes. The experimental group participated in a short course associated with the use of the digital game, while the control group received the same instruction without the technological tool. Data collection included a profile questionnaire, a technical assessment applied in pre- and post-test stages, and the Learning Approaches Scale (EABAP), adapted to the study’s context. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit, with satisfactory adjustment indices (CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.95; GFI = 0.92; RMSEA = 0.04; SRMR = 0.05), supporting the consistency of the proposed structure and the validity of the instrument. Results showed that the virtual environment enhanced students’ interaction with the content and promoted positive perceptions regarding the use of digital tools in the learning process. The experimental group demonstrated greater improvement in technical performance and a stronger tendency toward a deep learning approach, reflecting higher cognitive engagement and self-regulation. Overall, the use of educational games in teaching residential electrical installations proved to encourage more active, critical, and contextualized learning practices, consolidating the Critical Learning Nuclei (CLN) associated with key technical concepts. The main contribution of this study lies in the empirical validation of a digital resource capable of integrating theory and practice, providing evidence of its pedagogical effectiveness and offering methodological insights for improving teaching practices in electrical engineering education.