NSF Grant Number: ITR-0326309
PI: Sven Esche
Institution: Stevens Institute of Technology
Title: An Infrastructure for Designing and Conducting Remote Laboratories
Research Objectives:
• Design an infrastructure to enable large-scale sharing
of laboratories while increasing the educational
effectiveness of the laboratory experience
• Evaluate the relative strengths of hands-on, remote,
and simulated laboratories
Approach:
• Comparison of remote, simulated, and hands-on
laboratories using with/without evaluation techniques
• Measurement of individual differences focusing on
cognitive style, using the LSQ of Mayer and Massa
• Multi-disciplinary team including engineers,
psychologist and information scientist
Broader Impact:
• Improvement in engineering and science education
develops a more diverse and competitive workforce
Significant Results:
• Remote laboratories appear to be as effective as
hands-on labs for the class of experiments evaluated
• Student ability and cognitive style are not significantly
related to satisfaction with remote laboratories, though
some intriguing trends were observed
Device
Device
Device
Device
Resource manager:
Scheduling
Composition
Institution 2
Internet
Browser
Browser
Remote Laboratory Infrastructure Architecture
Cognitive Style
Individual differences
Past
grades
SAT scores
Ethnicity
Gender
Lab frame
Real
Hands-on /
mediated
Interface
Audio /
silent
Simulated
Remote
Real-time /
batch
OUTCOME
VARIABLES:
Test scores
Parameterized /
open
Experiment
Goes right /
goes wrong
2 degrees /
3 degrees
Cognition
Model for Assessment of Educational Experiments
Dr. Sven Esche: [email protected]
Device
Resource manager:
Scheduling
Composition
Interface
Institution 1
Device
Dr. Jeffrey Nickerson: [email protected]
Lab scores
Preferences