Grid-based interactive virtual scientific experiments for distributed virtual communities

Today, distance learning classes are commonly offered from many leading universities around the world. A major challenge in such distributed classrooms is the formation of active virtual communities among the participating students. Shared virtual laboratories offer such a possibility as students form lab teams to run the same interactive simulation and in the course of such experiments learn to interact and understand each other better. A virtual scientific experiment architectural framework on top of a grid infrastructure for running interactive virtual laboratory experiments for such distributed student communities with visualisation capabilities was designed and implemented, using web services standard protocols such as WSDL and WS-notification as implemented in the WSRF specification. This paper reports on results from running such simulations on a local grid infrastructure. System evaluation results from a distributed pool of students show the added value of the system in enhancing distance-learning programs and virtual classes with extensible collaborative and interactive virtual laboratories sessions