The experience of a collaborative project on remote laboratory: From development to operation

1. The experience of a collaborative project on remote laboratory: From development to operation Radhi MHIRI1, Maarouf SAAD1, Moustapha DODO AMADOU1, Vahé NERGUIZIAN1, Gérard BRADY2, Saber OUERTANI3, Sandra SAHLI4, Hamadou SALIAH-HASSANE5 1 École de technologie supérieure 2 Université du Québec en Outaouais 3 Université du Québec à Rimouski 4 TÉLUQ

2. The Project: Laboratoryat distance (LAD) Network Summary of main purposes of the project • Testing remote use of laboratory equipment as part of a technical training program at colleges (CEGEPs) • Using appropriate technology to introduce laboratory activities based on remote use of shared sophisticated and complex equipment • Defining and validating an appropriate pedagogical approach to achieve laboratory activities at distance

3. The Team Projet LAD Rencontre du 12 Juin 2012 à ÉTS

4. LAD PROJECT The project led the participants to consider various points: • Topology of technological devices used • Information exchange and communication between these devices • Appropriate interfaces to the users • Choice of laboratory subjects using equipment that can be controlled digitally • The approach to conduct laboratory activities • The documentation for support and assistance • Remote viewing of real laboratory and the evolution of relevant quantities • Scheduling, booking and access security

6. LAD Principle Student at distance

7. Pedagogical approach interactive formative assessment of pre-requisites Making the link between theoretical course and practice A virtual tour of a website or a demonstration of industrial equipment Making the link between Laboratory work and industrial applications Laboratory work was contextualized and described as authentic industrial problem Increasing student’s motivation and giving authentic meaning to the laboratory work Equipment exploration Giving the opportunity to learn more about specific characteristics of the equipment

8. LAD’s stages • Three major LAD’s stages are considered • Pre-LAD: this stage is designed to take a virtual tour, ensuring that the student masters basic prerequisites and discovers the specific hardware used • LAD Task: this is the most delicate stage. In this stage the student will be connected in real time to the laboratory equipment to conduct the remote experimentation. The time required for this stage is very critical and it must be minimized to allow all students handling the experiment in turns • Post-LAD: stage allows students to analyze the results and submit the final report Students are working in collaborative mode

9. Structure of a LAD Web site

10. Cooperative Project LAD - ETS Web Site of the project Site Visite

11. Description of some realized LAD Positioning control Speed control Water Level Control Sorting & distribution station

12. Technical solution for communication between laboratory server and users

13. Planning and access control • The primary administrator assigns time periods to teachers so that they can then assign them for their students • Each teacher may assign space-times to the groups for each laboratory • Each student can make a reservation only to the laboratory where a time period has assigned to him/her • Once the time period reserved, the student will enter the website and access the lab with his/her username and his/her password

14. Experimentation

15. Feasibility of experimentation • During the first year, some experimental tests of different LAD were conducted • Tests were made by students using the LAD developed by their CEGEPs • Tests betweenCEGEPs • Tests betweeninstitutions in different countries (Montréal-Tunis) wereconducted • Tests implemented with three different countries. The setup was at ETS-Montreal and two users (one from the virtual university of Tunisia and the other from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi) were collaborating to achieve the described task for the water level control LAD

16. Appreciation of experimentation Assessment of the usefulness and contribution of the following sections of the site • Users have particularly appreciated the following points: • Flexibility of the working place and date • Accessibility to additional material • Development of student’s autonomy • Lessons learned from these experiences were valuable for future development improvements • Users have given relevant critics about certain details: • Complexity due to the use of several software program at the same time • The need of more indication about the way to use of the set up • The lack of direct communication with tutors

17. Conclusion • 12 LAD are operational at CEGEP and ÉTS • Development of appropriate management tools • Pedagogical approach validated • An enriching users "feedback" • Harmonized web media • Identified improvements to be introduced • 12 new LAD to develop