Experimenting from a distance—remotely controlled laboratory (RCL)

• Published in: European journal of physics Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. S127 - S141
• Main Authors: Gröber, Sebastian, Vetter, Martin, Eckert, Bodo, Jodl, Hans-Jörg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.05.2007; Institute of Physics Publishing
• Subjects: College Science; Computer Uses in Education; Distance Education; Educational Technology; Energy; Foreign Countries; Germany; Internet; Laboratory Equipment; Physics; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Teaching Methods; Germany
• ISSN: 0143-0807; 1361-6404
• DOI: 10.1088/0143-0807/28/3/S12

The use of computers and multimedia, as well as the World Wide Web and new communication technologies, allows new forms of teaching and learning such as distance learning, blended learning, use of virtual libraries and many more. The herewith discussed remotely controlled laboratory (RCL) project shall offer an additional contribution. The basic idea is for a user to connect via the Internet with a computer from place A to a real experiment carried out in place B. An overview of our technical and didactical developments as well as an outlook on future plans is presented. Currently, about ten RCLs have been implemented. The essential characteristics of an RCL are the intuitive use and interactivity (operating the technical parameters), the possibility of different points of view of the ongoing experiment thanks to web cams and the quickest possible transfer of the data measured by the user. A reasonable use of sensibly chosen real experiments as remote labs allows a new form of homework and exercises, as well as project work and the execution of experiments, which usually would be a teacher's prerogative only. (Contains 19 footnotes, 2 tables, and 6 figures.)