A novel reusable learning object development (RLO) for supporting engineering laboratory education

A novel reusable learning object development (RLO) for supporting engineering laboratory educatio

Testing Bench for Remote Practical Training in Electric Machines

Remote labs are emerging as a necessary tool to support practical classes in engineering studies. It is due to the increasing number of students who combine their studies with work. In fact, there are numerous developments in areas such as electronics and automatic. However, there are only a few of them in the area of electrical machines. This paper presents a testing bench for remote practical training in electric machines. The security challenges presented by these experiments are overcome by software within the remote lab. In addition, a friendly interface has been designed including augmented reality to identify the different elements and to provide information on these items if the student requires it. The testing bench has been developed to be used in different kinds of electrical machines test

Applying Kolb’s experiential learning cycle for laboratory education

This paper describes a model for laboratory education based on Kolb’s experiential learning theory. The method is implemented using modern teaching technologies and a combination of remote, virtual, and hands-on laboratory sessions and have been applied to the teaching of the undergraduate process control laboratory at the Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. An argument that poor learning in the laboratory is due to insufficient activation of the prehension dimension of Kolb’s cycle was suggested and verified, providing a pedagogical explanation. The quantitative analysis showed significant enhancement of the learning outcomes of the experimental group compared with the control group. Apart from the hands-on session, the proposed model involves additional activities, such as pre- and post-lab tests and virtual laboratory sessions, which are associated with Kolb’s cycle to facilitate constructivist learning. The paper provides the first laboratory education model that builds thoroughly on Kolb’s experiential learning theory

Virtual Reality Laboratories in Engineering Blended Learning Environments: Challenges and Opportunities

A great number of educational institutions worldwide have had their activities partially or fully interrupted following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, universities have had to take the necessary steps in order to adapt their teaching, including laboratory workshops, to a fully online or mixed mode of delivery while maintaining their academic standards and providing a high-quality student experience. This transition has required, among other efforts, adequate investments in tools, accessibility, content development, and competences as well as appropriate training for both the teaching and administrative staff. In such a complex scenario, Virtual Reality Laboratories (VRLabs), which in the past already proved themselves to be efficient tools supporting the traditional practical activities, could well represent a valid alternative in the hybrid didactic mode of the contemporary educational landscape, rethinking the educational proposal in light of the indications coming from the scientific literature in the pedagogical field. In this context, the present work carries out a critical review of the existent virtual labs developed in the Engineering departments in the last ten years (2010-2020) and includes a pre-pandemic experience of a VRLab tool-StreamFlowVR-within the Hydraulics course of Basilicata University, Italy. This analysis is aimed at highlighting how ready VRLabs are to be exploited not only in emergency but also in ordinary situations, together with valorising an interdisciplinary dialogue between the pedagogical and technological viewpoints, in order to progressively foster a high-quality and evidence-based educational experience

Open and Low-Cost Virtual and Remote Labs on Control Engineering

This paper presents an open course in the University Network of Interactive Laboratories, which offers several virtual and remote laboratories on automatic control, accessible to anyone. All the details on one of these labs (a two electric coupled drives system that allows performing control practices in a 2 × 2 MIMO system with industrial applications) and the activities that can be performed with it are given. We use a low-cost solution for developing the virtual and remote labs shared in this open course, based on the use of a free authoring tool Easy Java/Javascript Simulations (EJsS) for building the laboratories' user interfaces and a cheap development platform board (BeagleBone Black). The virtual and remote labs are deployed into a free Learning Management System (Moodle) Web environment that facilitates their management and maintenance

Active-learning methods for control engineering teaching using web applications

[EN] The development of active-learning methods is strongly proliferating nowadays in Higher Education studies. Roughly speaking, active learning can be understood as a way of learning in which students are more directly involved in the learning process. It is commonly accepted that, in contrast to traditional methods, substantial improvement of the own learning process is achieved through active methodologies. In particular, teachers must address an extra effort to engage the interest of students when faced with subjects provided with strong theoretical background (such as automatic control related topics). Indeed, one of the main drawbacks reported by the own students is their difficulty to connect real engineering application and theoretical lessons. In this paper, we present an active learning method conceived for automatic control subjects with the aid of virtual laboratories compatible with a wide range of web browsers for this end. In a first stage, some real engineering problems for students in the classroom are raised. Through a suitable follow-up of intermediate results and the appropriate discussions, teachers will be able to obtain an immediate feedback while evaluating the quality of learning at each stage. It is worthwhile mentioning that virtual labs are developed using the standard web interactive programming language HTML and Javascript, which only requires a web browser to be executed. Hence, in comparison to previous academic years, it is expected to better promote the usefulness of the control engineering for the students¿ careers with high degree of autonomy for self-scheduling homework and low cost resources, while improving the self-motivation and long-term quality of learning.This work is supported by the Universidad de Zaragoza project PIIDUZ_19_342 Desarrollo e implantación de un modelo basado en aula invertida y metodologías activas para asignaturas de informática e ingeniería de sistemas.González Sorribes, A.; Del Val Noguera, E. (2020). Active-learning methods for control engineering teaching using web applications. Iated. 5583-5589. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2020.1516S5583558

The Need to Support of Data Flow Graph Visualization of Forensic Lucid Programs, Forensic Evidence, and their Evaluation by GIPSY

Lucid programs are data-flow programs and can be visually represented as data flow graphs (DFGs) and composed visually. Forensic Lucid, a Lucid dialect, is a language to specify and reason about cyberforensic cases. It includes the encoding of the evidence (representing the context of evaluation) and the crime scene modeling in order to validate claims against the model and perform event reconstruction, potentially within large swaths of digital evidence. To aid investigators to model the scene and evaluate it, instead of typing a Forensic Lucid program, we propose to expand the design and implementation of the Lucid DFG programming onto Forensic Lucid case modeling and specification to enhance the usability of the language and the system and its behavior. We briefly discuss the related work on visual programming an DFG modeling in an attempt to define and select one approach or a composition of approaches for Forensic Lucid based on various criteria such as previous implementation, wide use, formal backing in terms of semantics and translation. In the end, we solicit the readers' constructive, opinions, feedback, comments, and recommendations within the context of this short discussion.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, index; extended abstract presented at VizSec'10 at http://www.vizsec2010.org/posters ; short paper accepted at PST'1

Open learning: Advances in the eMadrid excellence network

Proceedings of: 2011 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON 2011): Learning Environments and Ecosystems in Engineering Education. Amman, Jordan, 4-6 April 2011.This Special Session is going to present some of the activities carried out by the Excellence Network on e-learning that is being funded in the Region of Madrid, called eMadrid. They are related to the application of open source principles in the educational context and in opening up the alternatives to the learner.The eMadrid Excellence Network [24] is being funded by the Madrid Regional Government (Comunidad de Madrid) with grant No. S2009/TIC-165. We wish to acknowledge stimulating discussions with our partners in the context of the networkPublicad

Online experimentation and interactive learning resources for teaching network engineering

This paper presents a case study on teaching network engineering in conjunction with interactive learning resources. This case study has been developed in collaboration with the Cisco Networking Academy in the context of the FORGE project, which promotes online learning and experimentation by offering access to virtual and remote labs. The main goal of this work is allowing learners and educators to perform network simulations within a web browser or an interactive eBook by using any type of mobile, tablet or desktop device. Learning Analytics are employed in order to monitor learning behaviour for further analysis of the learning experience offered to students

Opinion piece: non-traditional practical work for traditional campuses

Traditional practical work for higher education in STEM subjects is under pressure from rising student numbers and adesired increase in active learning. Investing in more buildings and staff is financially challenging, while stretching existing resources affects outcomes, health, and participation. A more pragmatic approach is to embrace a less instrumentalist view of practical work in physical spaces and instead adopt a critical post-humanist approach which mixes both humanity and technology to achieve a sum greater than the parts, not bound by the limits of either. We share the experiences of leading UK exponents of non-traditional laboratories in the four main categories of simulation, virtual laboratories, real-asynchronous, and real- synchronous activities, as well as experts in scaling digital education initiatives for university-wide adoption. We foreshadow opportunities, challenges and potential solutions to increasing the opportunity for active learning by students studying at traditional campuses, via the complementary addition of non-traditional practical work