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Learning Electronics through a Remote Laboratory MOOC
G. Díaz, F. García Loro, M. Tawfik, E. Sancristobal, S. Martin and M. Castro
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain
(gdiaz, fgarcialoro, mtawfik, elio, smartin,mcastro)@ieec.uned.es
Abstract: This work shows the results obtained by a MOOC devoted uniquely to acquiring practical
competences for building basic electronic circuits. It has been running for 5 months under the Spanish
UNED COMA platform initiative, and more than 3000 participants have enrolled. The electronics
experiments included in the MOOC are based on the remote laboratory platform Virtual Instrument
Systems in Reality (VISIR). One of the main challenges was to manage a queue system for accessing
VISIR, taking into account the limited number of concurrent accesses to the laboratory. This paper
describes the learning objectives and structure of the MOOC, the results obtained in terms of student
demographics, drop-out rates and social interactions. We also discuss the main pitfalls we found during
the course and the positive and negative aspects of this first running. We also describe the different
improvements we will put in place for solving some of the problems found.
A practical oriented MOOC for
learning electronics
As said in the abstract, the core of the MOOC, named
“Bases de circuitos y electrónica práctica” (Basic practical
electronic circuits) is VISIR, a remote laboratory for
electric and electronic circuits experiments (Tawfik et al,
2013). It was developed at Blekinge Institute of Technology
(BTH) in Sweden and is in use in several universities all
around the world (Gustavsson et. al., 2009). The MOOC’s
evaluation and activities spin around the remote laboratory
and the objectives and evaluation are focused on the
handling of the instruments and measurements. VISIR is
also routinely used in different engineering grade subjects
delivered by the Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department (DIEEC) of Spanish University for Distance
Education (UNED), providing satisfactory results with regarding
to either its performance or skills acquired by students.
The main advantage of VISIR, when compared with
traditional electronic laboratories, lies in its availability
that has neither temporal nor geographical restrictions.
The MOOC has been running for five months (May
to September 2013), and is one of many in the UNED
COMA platform (UNED COMA, 2013). The students
have not time limitations to complete the different tasks.
The access, as in many other MOOCs is completely open
and free and anyone can register and participate.
The acquisition of the competences for analyzing circuits
is not an objective for this MOOC. The knowledge,
at least theoretical, on analyzing electrical and electronics
circuits and the electrical characteristics of most common
components are necessary requirements for participants.
However, supplementary materials are provided, in each
module of the MOOC, in order to facilitate the understanding
of the behavior and circuits for those students
that fulfill only part of the requirements but are interested
in following the course. The MOOC also suggests, for
this case, a number of options (for example the possibility
of enrolling other MOOC (6.002x Circuits & Electronics
MITx, 2013) before continuing).
Learning objectives and structure of
the MOOC
The general learning goals, as established at the initial
web page are:
• Gaining practical competences in basic electric and
electronic circuits, by using a lab with real components.
Also gaining practical competences in the use
of the usual equipment in such laboratories.
• Improving the knowledge for designing electric and
electronic circuits.
• Increasing the use of simulation tools used in the process
of electronic circuits design.
The participants that begin the MOOC find a pre-course
survey for obtaining some statistics basic data such as
age, genre, country of origin and maximum academic level.
Experience Track |214