Following the pandemic, a decline in student motivation was observed in the practical sessions of two networking courses in the Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology Engineering at the Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH). In many cases, students copied the solutions to pro-posed practical exercises from one another, attended laboratory sessions in-frequently, and exhibited a deterioration in learning outcomes. To address this issue, a change in the current teaching methodology is proposed. In the Network Fundamentals course, the approach shifted from Moodle lessons with questions common to all students to tutorial-style Moodle quizzes containing randomly generated questions, complemented by laboratory practice. In the Switching and Routing course, many class sessions previously dedicated to work on a final project were replaced with instructor-guided practices, each focusing on a specific technology required for the project. This teaching strategy was implemented during the Regular Academic Term (PAO) from 24 March to 30 July 2025, achieving strong student acceptance of the practical activities as well as improved learning outcomes. The article analyzes the role of the Packet Tracer simulator in developing specialized human capital to meet the growing demand for professionals with both technical competencies and soft skills, which necessitates innovation in teaching methodologies. Simulation is highlighted as a technically and financially viable strategy.