WebBased Laboratories: Technical and Pedagogical Considerations

1
Web-Based Laboratories Technical and
Pedagogical Considerations

• Jim Henry, Ph.D., P.E.
• College of Engineering and Computer Science
• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• AIChE, 2001 Reno, NV

2
Chattanooga, Tennessee
3
What are "Web-Based Laboratories"?

• Lab experimentsoffered via the WEB
• WHY ?
• Accommodates Scheduling Problems
• Can serve equipment-challenged campuses
• It's all the go to get on the Web
• We enjoy doing this stuff

4
What are Technical Considerations?

• How is it done
• Available stationsMore reliability
• More experiments
• More accessibility
• Ease of use

5
What are "Pedagogical Considerations "?

• Student support offered via the WEB
• Outcomes and Assessment
• Teaching and Learning expansion
• Team mailing lists
• Discussion Forums
• FAQ
• Intelligent Agent responder

6
Good News- Bad News
Hardware experiments It works It's reliable
Managing "distant" students
7
The Connections

• WWW based
• Netscape or Internet Explorer
• Familiar accessible friendly
• Direct via Internet
• Custom LabVIEW programs
• Other software to use MATLAB, e.g.

8
WWW Protocol
INTERNET . . . . .
LabSERVER
Document Server
File Sharing
LabCLIENTs
9
Classical Control Systems
Set Point
Output
SYSTEM
CONTROL

-
10
Laboratory Remote Operation
Set Point
Output
SYSTEM
CONTROL

-
LAB SYSTEM (server)
USER (client)
11
Controls Laboratory Equipment Details

• 7 - Stations All S.I.S.O., Stable
• Pressure Level
• Voltage Speed
• Flow Temperature
• Position

12
Temperature
Pressure
Flow
13
Speed and Voltage
Level, 2-tanks
14
Ch E Laboratory Equipment Details

• 10 - Stations
• Distillation Filter
• Absorber Dehumidifier
• Heat Pump Drying Oven
• Combustion Heat Exchanger
• Cooling Tower Pressure Swing Absorption

15

• Distillation

Pressure Swing Absorption
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
Laboratory Experiment Details

• System Identification
• Steady-State Step
• Ramp Sine
• Pulse "Custom"
• Feedback Control
• Proportional w/ bias
• Proportional Integral

20
Step InputResults

• Input 50, t lt 5 sec
• Input 90, t gt 5 sec

40K
t
t
o
21
Step InputResults

• h

40K
t
t
o
22
Step InputResults
23
Step InputResults

• Input 50, t lt 5 sec
• Input 90, t gt 5 sec

40K
t
t
o
24
Step InputResults
40K
t
t
o
25
Step InputResults
40K
t
t
o
26
Step InputResults
40K
t
t
o
27
Step InputResults
40K
t
t
o
28
t
o
29

• Diponegoro University, Indonesia
• University of Koeln, Germany

30
Direct Connection
Your Computer
INTERNET . . . . .
TCP/IP
LabCLIENTs
31
Direct Connection
Custom Software
SERVER
Set Point
Input Data
Output
SYSTEM
CONTROL

-
Output Data
32
(No Transcript)
33

• May-June, 2001

34
Web Sites

• chem.engr.utc.edu
• link to this paper
• chem.engr.utc.edu/AIChE

35
(No Transcript)
36
Web Sites

• chem.engr.utc.edu
• link to this talk paper
• chem.engr.utc.edu/AIChE

37
Pedagogy -Student responses

• We can pick the time to meet to run the labs
  instead of being required to be here for a set
  class time
• The ability to perform experiments from remote
  locations

38
Pedagogy -Student responses

• You can run experiments during class time or at
  3AM as well as turn in your reports at any time
  over the web I liked the freedom of the lab
• It worked out well being able to work at
  different times

39
Pedagogy -Student responses

• This was a new experience. Especially running
  the experiments on the Web, and sending the
  assignments by e-mail
• Web access learning is very important these days,
  when a lot of information is available and e-mail
  is taking the place of traditional phone calling
  and letter writing.

40
Pedagogy -Student support

• Educational Materials for Remote Laboratory
  Operation
• descriptions of the equipment
• examples of experiments
• procedures for conducting the experiments
• sample topics

41
Pedagogy -Student support

• expert system LISA
• Laboratory Instruction Student Aide
• (a laboratory assistant bot)

42
Pedagogy -Student activities

• Problem-oriented activities that are open-ended,
  and multi- or interdisciplinary
• Visual formats that allow creation of mental
  models
• A rich learning environment containing a variety
  of interactive resources

43
Pedagogy -Student activities

• Cooperative group work, emphasizing shared
  intelligence
• Learning through exploration and discovery
• Authentic assessment, emphasizing the qualitative
  nature of student work

44
Vision Plans

• Dissemination opportunities
• www.RealLabs.net
• -- New systems
• -- Renovated and Updated systems

45
Acknowledgements

• Tennessee Taxpayers
• National Science Foundation
• UTC's Center for Excellence in Computer
  Applications
• National Instruments
• Microsoft Corporation
• Creative Engineering Laboratory Systems
• Lupton Renaissance Fund