International Conference on Engineering Education – ICEE 2007 Professional Learning from Remote Sites

Abstract- The rapid growth of internet-based technologies has brought fundamental changes to the use of laboratories. It enables remote access to laboratory equipment and instruments. In the future, not only computers will be connected to the internet, but more and more devices like individual washing machines, entire plants or autonomous lawnmowers, will be accessible remotely through the internet. These devices can be controlled, programmed, configured, observed, and maintained from distance. Nowadays, the use of online experiments for training, teaching, and learning purposes has become pervasive in many disciplines. In engineering fields, this technology needs to be integrated in the curricula to prepare students for their professional lives. They need knowledge in remote control and distributed product development. This paper presents the work of the Network of Excellence in Professional Learning (ProLEARN)1 by the working group “online and remote experimentation”. It provides an overview of the development of a catalogue of online experiments, information on a common technical framework, and lessons learned from educational evaluations. Three other members of the working group will complete this introduction [1]-[3]. Index Terms- Virtual and remote experiments, knowledg