Open-source remote laboratory experiments for controls engineering education

We describe and evaluate the use of a remote laboratory with approximately 250 third-year students in the ‘Controls and Instrumentation Engineering 3’ course in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. The remote laboratory was created using the first iteration of a new open-source infrastructure. A key component of the implementation is a secure video and data relay that permits experiments to be hosted on restricted networks and accessed from a wide range of browsers, so as to minimise the technical support burden on course staff. A heterogeneous set of twelve spinning disks driven by DC motors were provided to students via an online catalogue permitting instant and exclusive access to an individual experiment for up to 90 minutes a session. The student experience was evaluated via a survey, which comprised both qualitative and quantitative questions. Survey participation was optional and included some in-depth questions targeting the students’ experience from a UX perspective. The link between quantitative and qualitative results allows us to draw useful conclusions about the experiences of the students participating in the survey. Our main findings are that the overall experience was positive for the survey respondents, and that they perceive a distinction between having control over the equipment and control over the task. Our work indicates there is a need to better understand the implications of students making this distinction, and the effect it will have on future designs of remote laboratory tasks, user interfaces, and evaluations.