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 supérieure2 Université du Québec en Outaouais3 Université du Québec à Rimouski4 TÉLUQ

The Project: Laboratory at distance (LAD) Network

Summary of main purposes of the project

1. Testing remote use of laboratory equipment as part of a technical training program at colleges (CEGEPs)

2. Using appropriate technology to introduce laboratory activities based on remote use of shared sophisticated and complex equipment

3. Defining and validating an appropriate pedagogical approach to achieve laboratory activities at distance

LAD Network

Projet LAD Rencontre du 12 Juin 2012 à ÉTS

3

The Team

Project Management:Professor Maarouf SAAD (Professor at EE and Dean of Education at l'École de Technologie Supérieure - ÉTS-) ÉTS: • Professor Vahé NERGUIZIAN, (Professeur EE) • Professeur Radhi MHIRI (Expert in techno-pedagogy) • Moustapha DODO AMADOU (Lecturer)

TÉLUQ : Professor Hamadou SALIAH-HASSANE

CEGEP Valleyfield : Mrs Sandra SAHLI (Professor, responsible of LAD)

CEGEP Sorel-Tracy : Mr Saber OUERTANI (Professor, responsible of LAD)

CEGEP Granby: Mr Gérald BRADY (Professor, responsible of LAD)

LAD PROJECT

The project led the participants to consider various points:

1. Topology of technological devices used2. Information exchange and communication between these devices3. Appropriate interfaces to the users4. Choice of laboratory subjects using equipment that can be

controlled digitally5. The approach to conduct laboratory activities6. The documentation for support and assistance7. Remote viewing of real laboratory and the evolution of relevant

quantities8. Scheduling, booking and access security

Project

Pedagogical approach

Technical aspects

Web support

Implementation & experiments

Cégep A

Cégep B

Student at

distance

LAD Principle

Pedagogical approach

Making the link between theoretical course and practice

interactive formative assessment of pre-requisites

Making the link between Laboratory work and industrial applications

A virtual tour of a website or a demonstration of industrial equipment

Increasing student’s motivation and giving authentic meaning to the laboratory work

Laboratory work was contextualized and described as authentic industrial problem

Giving the opportunity to learn more about specific characteristics of the equipment Equipment exploration

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

Structure of a LAD Web site

• Pre-LAD• Objectives

Problem situation

• Virtual visit • Prerequisite test• Material exploration

• LAD• Tests élémentaires• Réalisation des travaux+

consignes de sécurité

• Post-LAD• Report• Evaluation criteria

Valle

yfiel

d • Home• LAD1• LAD2• LAD3• LAD4• LAD5• LAD6

Gra

nby • Home

• LAD1• LAD2• LAD3• LAD4• LAD5• LAD6

Sore

l-tra

cy • Home• LAD1• LAD2• LAD3• LAD4• LAD5• LAD6

ÉTS • Home

• LAD1• LAD2• LAD3• LAD4• LAD5• LAD6

Cooperative Project LAD - ETS

Web Site

of the project

Site Visite

Water Level Control

Description of some realized LAD

Sorting & distribution station

Speed controlPositioning control

Technical solution for communication between laboratory server and users

Labview

LogMeIn

Radmin

Team-Viewer

Bridgit

Characteristics of the work required

Processing or software development - ++ ++ + +

Setup of an existing software (without the risk

of alteration server software)

++ + + + +

Rapid evolution process variables ++ + + ++ +

Proposed scenario

Individual work + + + ++ +

Collaborative work with synchronous exchanges - - - ++ +

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

Experimentation

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 between CEGEPs Tests between institutions in different countries (Montréal-Tunis) were

conducted 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

Appreciation of experimentation

+++ ++ + -

Virtual Tour 31% 46% 23%

Testing of pre-requisites 12,5% 75% 12,5%

Equipment exploration 46% 38,5% 15,4%

Elementary test 18,2% 63,7% 18,2%

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 improvementsUsers 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

Conclusion

12 LAD are operational at CEGEP and ÉTSDevelopment of appropriate management toolsPedagogical approach validatedAn enriching users "feedback"Harmonized web mediaIdentified improvements to be introduced12 new LAD to develop