On the effectiveness of learning through the use of the web based Laboratories – the experience of using the solar e-lab

This paper elaborates on the experience from the operation of the solar energy e-learning laboratory (Solar e-lab) in Cyprus, and analyses the results of the online evaluation submitted by the e-lab users. The aim of solar energy e-learning laboratory is to use web-based technology as a tool to make the laboratory facilities accessible to engineering students and technicians, including handicapped, located outside the e-lab premises anywhere in the world. In this way, the laboratory, its equipment and experimental facilities are available and can be shared by many people, thus reducing costs and widening educational experiences. Throughout its 5 years of operation, the solar e-lab has been accessed by users from over 400 locations from 75 countries spread all over the world. The total number of hits recorded on the site exceeded 1.2 million. Furthermore, a number of colleges and Universities are using the solar e-lab as part of their training programme. Judging from the online student evaluation reports sent to the solar e-lab administrator, it can be said that there is nearly excellent satisfaction by the users. The feedback provides useful information as to the students’ satisfaction with the e-lab interaction, its course content, and organisation. Introduction The role that web-based learning undertakes within the teaching and learning environments has gained widespread acceptance over the last number of years as remote engineering is becoming an important element in engineering education (Auer et al 2003, Benmohamed et al 2005, Agrawal and Srivastava 2007, Helander and Emani 2008). The development of web-based remote engineering experimentation laboratories can significantly enhance the students’ learning experience. A recent assessment study (Nickerson et al 2007) comparing versions of remote labs versus hands-on labs in a junior-level mechanical engineering course on machine dynamics and mechanisms, suggests that students learned lab content information equally well from both types of laboratories, and that they have a realistic understanding and appreciation of the practical advantages of remote laboratories. Using remote laboratories has the potential to significantly reduce obstacles related of cost, time-inefficient use of facilities, inadequate technical support and limited access. The growing importance of sharing engineering resources through web-based laboratories can be attributed to the growing complexity of engineering tasks, the highly specialized and expensive equipment as well as software tools and simulators. It can also be attributed to the necessary use and application of high tech equipment and the need of high qualified staff to control such equipment. There is evidence that the distance educated students are more motivated than on-site students and that there is significant relationship between the student attends class and the motivation to do well (Bisciglia et al 2005). As online education becomes an everyday part of engineering education in nowadays (Hutzel 2002, Lindsay and Good 2005, Aziz et al 2006, Machotka and Nedic 2006), online methods in engineering education will increase the breadth and scale of engineering education, thus extending the reach of institutions and the delivery of education to broader audiences (Lindsay and Good 2006). In contrast to “traditional” engineering, experts in remote engineering are deployed in a relatively broad range of activities that span to different sectors of industry. They typically work in locally distributed teams and coordinate their work amongst themselves. This requires not only competent handling of tools and methods for diagnosis, maintenance, monitoring and repair, but above all require the ability to communicate effectively with others (e.g. customers, users, installers) with the help of computer-aided means of communication. Skilled service technicians must solve the “mutual knowledge problem”, for example by integrating the know-how of others in order to accomplish their goals using appropriate tools (e.g. electronic conferencing or groupware applications). Special focus must be placed on accessing distributed information from suppliers, customers and manufacturers over the Internet. Because e-maintenance is primarily immaterial, the quality assessment made by customers is highly dependent on those employees who perform such services. For this reason, technicians and engineers must also be trained in customer orientation with an emphasis on communication training and customer-centred action. The solar e-lab features: architecture and organisation The solar energy e-learning laboratory is a good example of a web-based laboratory. It was developed within the MARVEL project of the Leonardo da Vinci programme (Müller and Ferreira 2003) and it focuses on experiential based learning arrangements allowing remote and distributed working with laboratories, workshops and real working-places to train students in remote engineering (Auer et al 2003). The solar e-lab comprises a pilot solar energy conversion plant which consists of two flat-plate solar collectors having a surface area of 3 m2 located on the roof of the laboratory, an insulated thermal storage tank located in the solar energy laboratory and other auxiliary equipment and accessories. It is also equipped with all necessary instrumentation, control and communication devices which are needed for remote access, control, and data collection and processing. A major goal of the solar e-lab is the usage of real worlds in virtual learning environments in order to support workprocess-oriented and distributed cooperative learning with real-life systems. Its aim is to use the Internet as a tool to make the laboratory facilities accessible to engineering students (especially handicapped) and technicians located outside the laboratory, including overseas. In this way, the solar energy e-learning lab and its equipment and experimental facility will be available and be shared by many people, thus increasing availability and reducing costs. The system architecture used in the solar energy e-learning lab is illustrated in fig. 1. The user can access the solar e-lab through a PC which acts as a web server. This server hosts the e-learning platform with all necessary extensions for PHP support as well as the database necessary for this platform. It also communicates with the machine hosting the application software (TestPoint). Whenever a user wishes to get into the system, the communication will be done through this server. That is, the user sends his/her request to the system, the web server communicates with the TestPoint web server and it collects the data and transfers them to the user. The actual running of the set-up is done via the TestPoint, which is an interface tool capable of acquiring data through various sensors, storing the data in a form that the user likes, and processing and handling the data in a meaningful manner. This particular software consists of two parts, the programming and the runtime parts. The programming is needed only to the system designer, while the runtime is necessary to run the particular experiment and is available to the interested user free of charge. Any collected data can be stored in popular programme formats (Word, Excel, etc.) allowing the user to print his own report formats and hand in a report of his choice. This tool is located on a dedicated server allowing faster data handling. Fig. 1. The solar e-lab system architecture A user may visit the laboratory website anytime from anyplace in the world. The only requirements are a computer connected to the internet and any of the standard web browsers. By typing the address of the solar energy e-learning laboratory (http://e-lab.hti.ac.cy ), the user can visit the initial page of the website. It is possible for visitors with little interest in solar energy to read and study on the subject with no requirements or registration or testing. So, not all of the pages require login. As a matter of fact, one can see most of the pages without the need of creating an account. Login, and thus creating an account, is only needed when the user decides to take the so called pre-lab test and conduct an online live experiment through the internet. A booking tool is available to control the access time to the system. In order to be able to make a booking, to have access to the system for conducting an experiment, a remote student has to attempt a pre-lab quiz and get a passing grade. In case the system is busy, because another user is online performing an experiment, the user is entitled and he/she can get into the e-lab as an observer. The system will open a new window and the remote user will be able to have a view of the system in operation and get the readings but he/she will not be allowed to intervene into the operation and control of the system. The “observer user” can, however, record the readings and use them for calculations if he/she wishes so. The learning experience The solar e-lab is designed for real time online live experiments in the field of solar engineering. The design of the learning scenarios comprises of a series of exercises of different degree of difficulty and complexity. The introductory work with all the notes, system explanations and glossary allow the student/interested party to get familiar with the system and the work to be followed. The subsequent exercises with the difficulties and unexpected problems of real life experimentation allow the student to realize the difficulties of the work (Kolb’s first and second steps). For each exercise, the student undergoes an online assessment and is allowed to proceed to a real experiment only if he/ she is successful to the pre-lab test. As a last step into the real world of experimentation the student may get access to the system and perform system control and data gathering. During this part of the work the student will get acquaint with the rem