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Learning Electronics through a Remote Laboratory MOOC
G. Díaz, F. García Loro, M. Tawfik, E. Sancristobal, S. Martin, M. Castro
Following this survey they must complete a basic electric
and electronic exam. This exam is not evaluable, but gives
us relevant information on the knowledge of the participants,
before beginning the course.
The rest of the MOOC is structured in eight modules,
with an estimated workload of 10 hours per module. The
contents in each module are a number of short videos, different
help documentation and an assessment based on
the tasks in the module. All the documentation is written
in Spanish. Inside the MOOC there is also a basic forums
system that allows the interaction of students and with
the teachers and mentors.
The first module is dedicated to electronics simulation
and reviews the required knowledge of analysis and simulation
software. MicroCap software is proposed, although
many other tools are valid. The main idea behind this
module is giving the students the opportunity to test the
differences between theoretical calculations, simulations
results and real (obtained afterwards in the VISIR modules)
results.
Module 2 (figure 1) shows the basics of use of VISIR: the
components (resistances, diodes, etc,), the breadboard,
the instruments (multimeter, function generator, oscilloscope,
power supply, etc.). It also presents the students
how to access the remote lab and how to reserve time
for the experiment. This last point is essential considering
that VISIR don´t allows an indeterminate number of concurrent
users. The time slot for each reservation is 1 hour
and each student has a limit of 16 reservations.
Modules 2 to 8 are dedicated to build real circuits with
VISIR and take measurements related tothem, from basic
power and current measurements to the different possibilities
of operational amplifiers. Figure 2 shows, for
example, how to build with VISIR a basic RLC circuit and
check the correct measurements.
The assessments in each module are closely related
with the experimental results and try to highlight the differences
between theoretical, simulated and real results.
Also the students are encouraged to use VISIR to build
different circuits, not proposed by the teachers, using this
opportunity and the different social tools inside (and outside)
the MOOC to improve the knowledge of the participants.
The MOOC’s design allows the administrator to use
several parameters, as the number of slots per turn, time
per turn, number of simultaneous turns and total number
of allowed turns in the course. By tuning these parameters,
we can regulate the remote laboratory availability
to the demand of use. This is one of the critical points we
wanted to analyze: the adaptability of the remote laboratory
VISIR to a MOOC. Unfortunately, the intrinsic
limitations of a real laboratory such as VISIR collide with
one of the most relevant features that any MOOC should
achieve: scalability.
The two last steps of the MOOC are a final examination,
again not evaluable, that allows validating the effectiveness
of the course, and a post-course survey, that helps
us to compare if the students’ expectations have been
reached.
Although the MOOC is, as many other current MOOCs,
almost completely based on self-learning and peer to peer
collaboration, there are two different support roles:. The
mentor that continuously tracks any possible issue with
the reservation system and helps the students to resolve
any problems related to the documentation and tools in
the MOOC and other general questions; and a teacher
who is accessible for helping with basic problems relating
to electronics.
UNED COMA is a completely open initiative. Although
our course’s syllabus warns that this is a non-basic course
and the participant must have previous theoretical knowledge
in electric and/or electronic circuits, UNED COMA
does not impose restriction criteria on those who wish to
enroll.
Students get a course certificate by accomplishing two
conditions: they must complete all the activities in all the
Figure 1. Screenshot of one of the videos in module 2.
Figure 2. A possible VISIR’s breadboard setup for module IV
in MOOC.
Experience Track |215