The document discusses the feasibility of experimentation in MOOCs, focusing on a remote laboratory called VISIR that enables students to conduct real experiments on electronic circuits over the internet. It outlines the advantages and limitations of remote labs, the structure of a specific MOOC (BCEP), and its modules while highlighting challenges like scalability and dropout rates. Overall, the VISIR remote lab has positively impacted student engagement and performance but requires redesign to better support all learners.

1. Is experimentation
feasible at MOOCs?
Manuel Castro
Felix Garcia-Loro
Prof. Dr. Manuel Castro, http://www.slideshare.net/mmmcastro/
Electronics Technology Professor, UNED, Madrid, SPAIN
IEEE Fellow, Sr Past President, IEEE Education Society

2. Experiment

4. What is a remote lab?
• A remote laboratory is a tool which combines
software and hardware to allow students to access to
real equipment, instruments and components
remotely through the Internet
• The main advantage of remote labs, when compared
with traditional laboratories, lies in its availability
that has neither temporal nor geographical
restrictions
• Main disadvantage are maintenance and 100%
availability

5. What is VISIR?
• Virtual Instruments System In Reality
• VISIR is a remote laboratory for wiring and measuring
electronics circuits on a breadboard remotely
• VISIR allows real measurements on physical equipment
• The equipment is controlled by LabVIEW server
software
• The wiring mechanism is developed by means of a
relay switching matrix connected to a PCI eXtensions
for Instrumentation (PXI)

6. What is not VISIR?
• VISIR is not a simulation software or a virtual lab;
there is a physical limitation since it does not allow
an indeterminate number of concurrent users
• VISIR is not a lab to carry out any type of
experiment; for example, destructive experiments are
not allowed because all experiments must be reusable
• VISIR is not an instructor; The measurement server
acts as an instructor to avoid hazard circuits but
does not provide any “formative” feedback about the
designed circuit

7. User Interface?

8. User Interface

9. UNED-COMA
• UNED-COMA platform is an Open-UNED initiative,
aimed at the deployment of MOOCs from different
Departments and Teaching Teams of UNED
• UNED-COMA platform explodes the rich experience in
distance education of UNED educational system
• Badge, Credential (paying) and Certificate (paying +
in-person exam)
• Curator (UNED-COMA) & Facilitator (teaching staff)
• Access is completely open and free

10. BCEP MOOC
• Circuits Fundamentals and Applied Electronics (“Bases
de Circuitos y Electrónica Práctica”, BCEP)
• The core of the MOOC is the remote laboratory
VISIR
• Critical analysis point: Scalability; VISIR into a
massive environment
• The acquisition of the competences in analyzing
circuits is not a goal, however it is necessary

11. BCEP goals
• To provide access to anyone interested
• To test VISIR remote laboratory performance under a
high demand scenario
• To analyze “consumers’” profile <<students interested
in this kind of courses and their needs to complete
satisfactorily the course>>
• To evaluate UNED-COMA platform and its
adaptability for electronics and practical-based courses

12. BCEP modules
• Module I: Simulation
• Module II: Remote laboratory (VISIR): equipment &
instruments
• Module III: Working with resistors
• Module IV: RLC circuits
• Module V: Working with diodes
• Module VI: Filters
• Module VII: Zener diode
• Module VIII: Operational amplifier

13. request muestra1
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VISIR physical limitations
Furthermore, for an optimal immersion, the number of
concurrent users should not exceed 25 to obtain an adequate
response time in continuous measuring (for occasional measures
this factor is not critical)
maxlist
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14. VISIR
VISIR
remote
laboratory
VISIR
allows
concurren
t users
…and
VISIR is a
real lab
But… real
labs have
physical
constraints
MOOC
Massive
open
online
course
Massive
vs
Physical
constraints

15. …but…
• It is very unlikely that all connected users perform
measurements simultaneously; The laboratory time is
necessary specially for the circuit assembly and for
configuring the equipment much more than for
measuring
• In addition, MOOCs show a high dropout rate; So,
delaying VISIR onset, the number of accesses is
limited to those students who are really interested
and motivated

16. Booking system
• Initial settings:
• 2 simultaneous turns booked (variable)
• 16 turns per course (variable)
• 60 minutes per turn (fixed)
• 16 concurrent users (variable); up to 384 turns
every day

17. Enrollments and dropout

18. Acceses to components

19. Students’ judgement

20. Students’ judgement

21. Platform conclusions
• New activities/tasks are required
• UNED-COMA platform allows access to any module
without any restriction, this feature destroys
scaffolding
• Users were anonymous for VISIR due to the way the
interaction between the remote lab and the MOOC
platform is carried out
• …A new MOOC platform is required

22. Course conclusions
• Practices designed were easy for those students who
had a previous training in electronics, but complex for
those who didn’t
• About the activities, students agreed that both, the
activities they have had to carry out in VISIR and
the activities derived from them, were long
• VISIR and practical contents have been inadequate to
help students to take advantage of VISIR;Theoretical
contents have been revealed necessary: BCEP-MOOC
requires a redesign
• Students are interested in practical courses

23. VISIR conclusions
• Remote laboratory VISIR has shown the ability to
perform its activity satisfactorily in massive
environments
• VISIR remote lab have been an attraction for
students’ enrollment
• Students’ opinion about VISIR reliability and
performance have been really positive

24. Is experimentation
feasible at MOOCs?
Manuel Castro
Felix Garcia-Loro
Prof. Dr. Manuel Castro, http://www.slideshare.net/mmmcastro/
Electronics Technology Professor, UNED, Madrid, SPAIN
IEEE Fellow, Sr Past President, IEEE Education Society
The
end
?