Abstract
Laboratory experimentation is essential in any educational field. Existing software allows two options for performing experiments: (1) Interacting with the graphic user interface (it is intuitive and close to reality, but it has certain constraints that cannot be easily solved), or (2) scripting algorithms (it allows more complex instructions, however, users have to handle a programming language). This paper presents the definition and implementation of a generic experimentation language for conducting automatic experiments on existing online laboratories. The main objective is to use an existing online lab, created independently, as a tool in which users can perform tailored experiments. To achieve it, authors present the Experiment Application. Not only unifies the two conceptions of performing experiments; it also allows the user to define algorithms for interactive laboratories in a simple way without the disadvantages of the traditional programming languages. It is composed by Blockly, to define and design the experiments, and Google Chart, to analyze and visualize the experiment results. This tool offers benefits to students, teachers and, even, lab designers. For the moment, it can be used with any existing lab or simulation created with the authoring tool Easy Java(script) Simulations. Since there are hundreds of labs created with this tool, the potential applicability of the tool is considerable. To illustrate its utility a very well-known system is used: the water tank system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
EA internacional ecosimpros website. http://www.ecosimpro.com/
MGA software ACSL reference manual, version 11 (1995)
Brinson, J.R.: Learning outcome achievement in non-traditional (virtual and remote) versus traditional (hands-on) laboratories: a review of the empirical research. Comput. Educ. 87, 218–237 (2015)
Brodersen, A.J., Bourne, J.R.: Virtual engineering laboratories. J. Eng. Educ. 83, 279–285 (1994)
Cellier, F.E., Greifeneder, J.: Continuous System Modeling. Springer, New York (2013)
Chiu, J.L., DeJaegher, C.J., Chao, J.: The effects of augmented virtual science laboratories on middle school students’ understanding of gas properties. Comput. Educ. 85, 59–73 (2015)
Christian, W., Esquembre, F., Barbato, L.: Open source physics. Science 334(6059), 1077–1078 (2011)
Mattsson, S.E., Brck, D., Elmqvist, H., Olsson, H.: Dymola for multi engineering modeling and simulation. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Modelica Conference (2002)
de Jong, T., Linn, M.C., Zacharia, Z.C.: Physical and virtual laboratories in science and engineering education. Science 340, 305–308 (2013)
Dormido, S., Dormido-Canto, S., Dormido, R., Sánchez, J., Duro, N.: The role of interactivity in control learning. Int. J. Eng. Educ. 21(6), 1122 (2005)
Esquembre, F.: Adding interactivity to existing Simulink models using Easy Java simulations. Comput. Phys. Commun. 156, 199–204 (2004)
Feisel, L., Peterson, G.D.: A colloquy on learning objectives for engineering educational laboratories. In: ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Montreal, Ontario, Canada (2002)
Heck, B.S.: Future directions in control education [guest editorial]. IEEE Control Syst. 19(5), 36–37 (1999)
Heradio, R., de la Torre, L., Galan, D., Cabrerizo, F.J., Herrera-Viedma, E., Dormido, S.: Virtual and remote labs in education: a bibliometric analysis. Comput. Educ. 98, 14–38 (2016)
Law, A.M., Kelton, W.D.: Simulation Modeling and Analysis, 2nd edn. McGrawHill, New York (1991)
Law, A.M., Kelton, W.D.: Simulation Modeling and Analysis. McGrawHill, New York (2001)
Marron, A., Weiss, G., Wiener, G.: A decentralized approach for programming interactive applications with javascript and blockly. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Edition on Programming Systems, Languages and Applications Based on Actors, Agents, and Decentralized Control Abstractions, pp. 59–70. ACM (2012)
Sánchez, J., Morilla, F., Dormido, S., Aranda, J., Ruipérez, P.: Virtual and remote control labs using Java: a qualitative approach. IEEE Control Syst. 22(2), 8–20 (2002)
Sun, K.T., Lin, Y.C., Yu, C.J.: A study on learning effect among different learning styles in a web-based lab of science for elementary school students. Comput. Educ. 50(4), 1411–1422 (2008)
Wieman, C.E., Adams, W.K., Perkins, K.K.: PhET: simulations that enhance learning. Science 322(5902), 682–683 (2008)
Zhu, Y.: Introducing Google chart tools and google maps API in data visualization courses. IEEE Comput. Graph. Appl. 32(6), 6 (2012)
Acknowledgments
This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the projects EUIN2015-62577, DPI-2013-44776-R and DPI2016-77677-P.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Galan, D., Heradio, R., de la Torre, L., Dormido, S., Esquembre, F. (2018). Web Experimentation on Virtual and Remote Laboratories. In: Auer, M., Zutin, D. (eds) Online Engineering & Internet of Things. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64352-6_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64352-6_20
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-64351-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64352-6
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)