Undergraduate/postgraduate student project work to support the teaching and learning of remote laboratory design

Ian Grout

In this paper, consideration is given to the types of skills required by engineers who would be tasked with designing, developing, implementing and maintaining remote engineering laboratories. In this, the engineer would be required to have a broad range of electronic hardware, computer software and IT skills that are brought together in order to develop and support remote laboratories. The paper will consider these skills, along with the acquisition of these skills at primarily undergraduate level to acquire the basic skills, but also postgraduate level to acquire the advanced skills.

Reflecting Professional Reality in Remote Laboratory Experiences

David Lowe, Steve Murray, Euan Lindsay, Dikai Liu and Chris Bright

An ABET Colloquy in 2002 described a core set of thirteen objectives for Engineering laboratories. An implicit theme amongst these objectives is the development of an understanding of real-world Engineering. Often this will have occurred though exposure to commercial tools, equipment and processes, as well as realistic problems. Whilst remotely accesible laboratory infrastructure is becoming more common, the question of how these affect student perceptions of reality is salient - a question which has barely been considered in the literature. The only related work is some discussion on the fidelity and/or authenticity of the experience. In this paper we discuss these issues. In particular, we consider the factors within a laboratory experience which potentially affect the students' interpretation of the industrial or professional "reality" of the experience. We then discuss whether remote laboratories help or hinder in the development of this professional reality.

Mixed Learning Environment for the Real-Time Communication System PROFINET

Prajaks Jitngernmadan, Norbert Stuhrmann and Reinhard Langmann

Within the field of knowledge transfer technology, the concepts of eLearning have been developing continuously. The innovative learning methods are required for global market. The web-based eLearning provides the multifunctional learning environment that can be accessed at anytime and from anywhere, with low expenses and limitations. Even collaborative learning is being provided.

PROFINET is used in the automation technology as a communications system for exchanging process data among devices. It uses the standard Ethernet technology with some extended parts to communicate.

This paper discusses an implementation of a didactical concept creating a multimedia eLearning system for PROFINET that is based on web technologies. The idea of Learning by Doing has been realized. There is the part called LiveLab in which the users can work at a PROFINET system across the Internet by using an appropriate web browser.

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