Remote laboratories used in physics teaching: a state

of the art
Carlos Arguedas Matarrita
Ctedra de Fsica: Escuela de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Universidad Estatal a Distancia, UNED
San Jos, Costa Rica
carguedas@uned.ac.cr

Abstract In this paper, the state of the art on the use of

remote laboratories in Physics teaching addresses. An
investigation of the literature was performed in order to show
projects in which these tools are used in Physics teaching.
Furthermore it reveals the most relevant specific practices in this
discipline. These were done in order to lay the groundwork for
developing a thesis on Doctor in Education in Experimental
Sciences at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina,
related to the use of these technologies in Physics teaching at a
distance university.
Keywords Remote laboratory; Physics; Teaching; ICT

I.

INTRODUCTION

Being Physics an experimental science, laboratories

become the essencial rooms when teaching this discipline.
On the other hand, when dealing with distance learning the
time available to carry out laboratory practices is reduced to
classroom possibilities, consequently we must look for options
in order to strenghthen experimental work. Nowadays
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers a
great variety of tools that make learning easier, and actual
distance experiments are being fulfilled in many universities
through Remote Laboratories (RL). Chen et al. [1] point out
that this way of experimenting might be the next important
step in distance learning, a step that must be taken at
Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) in order to
supplement the classroom laboratories with these tools.
II. METHODOLOGY
In the completion of this research a revision of the existing
literature has been carried out focusing on the information
available on the net; key words such as: Physics Remote
Laboratories, distance experiment, universities that have
remote laboratories and teaching of physics through remote
laboratories have been used. These words have been looked
up in English as much as in Spanish, displaying wider results
those in the English language; furthermore the memoir from
the International Conference on Remote Engineering Virtual
Instrumentation 2015 was analyzed. Finally the consultation
to experts from Universidad de Deusto.

Sonia Beatriz Concari

Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Ingeniera y Agrimensura
Universidad Nacional de Rosario, UNR
Rosario, Argentina
sconcari@gmail.com

Around 130 papers have been analyzed out of which only

42 were about remote laboratories specifically dealing with
the teaching of physics (a great deal of them about electric
circuits), not all of them have been used as a reference in the
present work.
III. STATE-OF-THE-ART
The use of RL started in the USA at the beginning of the
90s with the project known as Collaboratories; the aim of
this project was to facilitate remote access to high cost
instruments such as astronomical telescopes, particle
accelerators and scanning tunneling microscopes, among
others [2].
In the educational field the records of pioneering projects
date back to 1996 at Oregon University, where a robotics
remote laboratory for the teaching of engineering is developed
[3] and at Tenessee University in Chattanooga, where a pilot
scheme with seven remote experiences is carried out [4]. In
1998 the use of an optics RL started at Stanford University
[5], followed by other RLs such as the one developed at
Brooklyn University in 2000, where a remote access platform
is set up for a mechatronics laboratory [6], and at the
Massechusetts
Institute
of
Technology
(MIT)
a
microelectronics RL is set up [7]. In 2001 at Universidad
Distrital Francisco Jos de Caldas in Colombia a laboratory on
the handling of bipolar transistors is designed [8].
Between 2004 and 2006 a group of German researchers
carried out a study to check the amount of RLs worldwide;
they found out that by 2004 there were 70 LRs and by 2006
the amount had increased to 60 projects with almost 120
remote access experiments [9]. The results of this research are
shown in Table I.

TABLE I. RE
EMOTE LABOR
RATORIES WOR
RLDWIDE IN 20006

Yea
ar

200
04

Total
amount
of RLs
~ 700

Free
Access
~ 70 %

Worked
without flaws
~ 15 %

Disciplin
nes

~ 90 %
engineeringg
~ 10 % oother
discipliness

200
06

~ 120 (~
~
60
projects)

~ 20 %

~ 20 %

~ 60-70 %
engineeringg
~ 30 %
Physics
< 10 % oother
discipliness

Among
A
the finndings after thhis research [9
9], it is pointedd out
that most physicss experiments were conneccted to electroonics,
overr half the projects were in the
t USA and Germany, be sides
theree was little ressearch on the educational use of RLs.
Over
O
the last ten years many
m
RLs hav
ve been develloped
worlldwide and inn different arreas. Some of
o the laborattories
with
h physics teaching-orientedd training pracctice are descrribed
below.

Fig .1. e-Laborratory Project sitee (http://www.isees.info/index.phpp/en)

RemLabNet. It is a disttance experim

ment manageement
system for mid an
nd higher leveel education which
w
groups some
of the
t e-Laboratory Project eexperiments but
b offers a more
rigid
d platform. In
n RemLabNeet the safety in data storaage is
high
hly improved, which impllies wider usse of experim
ments
[11]].
Among the new
n
practices that are not included in the
t eLaboratory we find: free drop, inclineed plane, siimple
pend
dulum, Archim
medes princiiple, Faraday Law, apart frrom a
chem
mistry practice.
Figure 2 show
ws the openingg webpage of RemLabNet.

e-Laboratory
e
y Project. It is a prroject from the
Math
hematics and Physics Colllege from thee Prague Carroline
Univ
versity in the Czech Repuublic, where they
t
have hadd RL
sincee 2002. From
m the very begginning otherr universities have
taken
n part, besiddes the univversity aforem
mentioned, w
which
conttributed with the hardwarre and softw
ware. The oother
univ
versities are tthe Tamas Bata
B
Universitty in Zlin, w
which
conttributed with the experim
mental design and the Trrnava
Univ
versity which collaboratted with peedagogy for the
expeeriment [10].
Nowadays
N
thiis laboratory has
h 18 physicss experiments such
as: micro
m
objects diffraction, electromagnet
e
tic induction,, free
and forced oscillaations, magnettic field, Heisembergs relaation,
phottoelectric efffect, light polarization
n, radioactiivity,
rectiification, Fraank-Hertzs experiment,
e
RLC
R
circuits and
Plan
ncks constant measurementt, among otherrs.
Every
E
practicee includes thee motivation, the physics bbasis,
the illustration
i
off the experimeent, the activiity to be fullfi
filled,
videos showing the experim
mental design and finallyy the
fullffillment of thee experiment. This sequencce allows to a big
exten
nt for the devvelopment of the
t experiencee and out of thhe 18
expeeriments, 14 oof them can be
b carried out in mobile devvices
and the other fouur are under way of being
g turned into Java
Scrip
pt and HTML
L5 language.
Figure
F
1 show
ws the openinng webpage off the e-Laboraatory
Project.

Fig. 2. RemLabN
Net. opening web
bpage.
(http://www.remlabnet.euu/?page=categoriees&cat=2)

WebLab-Deu
usto. It is a project from
m Universidaad de
Deu
usto in Spain in force since 22005. Rodrgu
uez [12] pointts out
that it can be co
onsidered as an RLMS (R
Remote Laborratory
Man
nagement System), since it is design
ned as a geeneric
fram
mework, endurring any kindd of remote experiment and not
limiiting itself to a specific kiind of experim
ments on a single
s
field
d. This featurre in the WebL
Lab-Deusto makes
m
it possibble to
sharre its technolo
ogy and to incclude other RL
L projects froom all
overr the world.
The following
g ones are som
me of the pracctices developeed by
this group: the prrogramming oof a robot, electronic circuitts, an

Aqu
uarium addresssed to primaryy level studen
nts and practicce on
the Archimedes
A
pprinciple.
WebLab-Deus
W
sto offers itts practices in 10 diffferent
languages and it is possible to
t access them
m through m
mobile
devices.
Figure
F
3 show
ws the openingg webpage of WebLab-Deu
W
usto.

Fig.4
4.
Galile
eo
Group
up
Remo
ote
(http://galileo4.unl.edu
u.ar/descripcionV
Volante.html)

Fig. 3.
3 Main website
e of WebLab--Deusto.
(httpss://weblab.deusto.es/weblab/clientt/?locale=es#pagee=experiment&exxp.cat
egory
y=Visir experimennts&exp.name=vvisir)

Galileo
G
Grou
up Remote Laboratory.
L
The
T Galileo G
Group
from
m the Universsidad Nacionaal del Litoral has set up a RL
with
h three physics practices sinnce 2005. Kofman and Conncari
[13] point out tthat the labooratoy arisees as part oof an
educcational researrch project inn parallel with
ment
h the improvem
of educational
e
rresources forr the teachin
ng of physiccs at
univ
versity (p.2944). Nowadayss the Galileo Group is carrrying
out three practicees in its RL: RC-RL-RLC
C circuits, inc lined
rail with
w wheel annd one-solenoiid magnetic fiield. Accordinng to
Kofm
man, De Greeef, Pesoa and Lucero [14] this latter praactice
facillitates access to groups of students who
o would otherrwise
not have
h
the chancce to carry ouut the work in a laboratory, ssince
it iss necessary too have a device that is not listed am
mong
tradiitional experriments offeered by co
ompanies seelling
educcational equipment.

Labooratory

Physil@b. Itt is a projectt started in 2010.

2
It has been
deveeloped by fou
ur universitiees: Universidaad Tecnolgicca de
Colo
ombia, Universidad Catlica de Perreira, Univerrsidad
Cat
lica de Man
nizales and U
Universidad dee Medelln, all
a of
whicch make up th
he GEMA gro
roup. On its Physil@b
P
site there
are four practicees that the afforementioned
d institutions have
deveeloped jointly
y: uniform straaight motion, evenly acceleerated
motion, bodies drrop and energyy conservation
n.
Figure 5 show
ws the Physil@
@b opening webpage.
w

Fig. 5. Physil@b webpage. ((http://physilab.u

ucp.edu.co/web/#))

Since
S
these experiences are program
mmed in JA
AVA
language, it is nott possible to use
u them on mobile
m
devices such
as sm
martphones.

Mobile Rem
mote Laborattory. This lab
boratory has been
deveeloped at Uniiversidad Naccional de Rosaario (UNR), and
a it
has been used forr testing the eenergy efficieency of solar water
w
heatters wherever they were plaaced. As regaards its educattional
use, the practice used in the trraining of posstgraduate stuudents
udes the foundation, a teachhing guide an
nd remote acceess to
inclu
the water
w
heater.

Figure 4 shoows the opeening webpag

ge of the Gaalileo
Grou
up Remote Laaboratory.

Figure 6 sho
ows the opeening webpag
ge of the Mobile
M
Rem
mote Laboratory.

Every
E
practicee includes insttructions for RL
R access, onn how
to usse the camera as well as sugggested teachiing activities.

REFFERENCES
[1] Chen,
C
S. Chen, V. Ramakrishnan, SS. Hu, S. Zhuang
g, Y. Ko, C. y Chhen, M.
(1999
9). Developmen
nt of Remote Laboratory Exp
perimentation thhrough
Intern
net. Taken from
m
hksrcc99.pdf

http://vlab.eee.nus.edu.sg/~vlaab/vlab/papers/C--IEEE-

[2] Kouzes,
K
R. Myers, J. y Wulf, W. (11996).Collaborato
ories: Doing Science on
the
Internet.
Taken
http:///www.virginia.ed
du/cs/people/facuulty/pdfs/Collaboratories.pdf

from

[3] Atkan,
A
B. (1996). Distance Learrning Applied to
o Control Enginneering
Educcation. Tesis Master of Science inn Electrical And Computer
C
Engineeering.
Takeen
Fig. 6.. Webpage of the Mobile Remote Laboratory.
(http://llabremf4a.fceia.uunr.edu.ar/labs/sollargsm/)

At
A UNR there is also an electronic
e
circuits RL usedd for
educcational purpooses.
Table
T
II show
ws the amount of remote praactices includded in
the projects
p
descriibed before.

from

https://ir.library.orego
onstate.edu/xmluii/bitstream/handlee/1957/34806/AkktanBu
rcin1996.pdf?sequenc
ce=3
[4] Henry,
H
J. (1996). Controls
C
Laborattory Teaching viaa the World Widee Web.
Takeen from http://se.a
asee.org/proceedin
ings/ASEE1998/H
Henry.pdf
[5] Hesselink,
H
L. Riza
al, D. y Bjornsoon, E. (2000). Cy
yberLab: Remote access
to
laboratories
through
the
world-wide-w
web.
http:///www.discoverla
ab.com/Referencees/043.pdf

Taken

from

[6] Wong,H.
W
Kapila, V. y Tzes, A
A. (2001).Mechattronics/process control
c
remo
ote

laboratory.

Takeen

from

http:///www.researchga
ate.net/profile/Annthony_Tzes/pub
blication/2684410033_M
TABLE II. A
AMOUNT OF PH
HYSICS RL IN SIX
S DIFFERENT
T
PROJJECTS
Project

Amount
A
of
Phyysics RL

ECH
HATRONICSPRO
OCESS_CONTRO
OL_REMOTE_L
LABORATORY/llinks/
54d8a25f0cf24647581
1ae770.pdf
D Alamo, J. Brooks, L. McLean,, C. Hardison, J. Mishuris, G. Chaang, V.
[7] Del
y Hu
ui, L. (2002). The MIT Microelectrronics WebLab: a Web-Enabled Remote
R
Labo
oratory for Mic
croelectronic Deevice Characterrization. Taken from
http:///www-mtl.mit.ed
du/~alamo/pdf/200032002/2002/delAlamo%
%20NL%2020022.pdf

Deusto WebLab

e-Laaboratory Project

18

RemLabNet

16

(2002
2). Laboratorio Remoto
R
en la E
Educacin de la Ingeniera. Reviista de

G
Galileo Group

Ingen
niera Universidad Distrital Franncisco Jos de Caldas.
C
7(1), pp. 85-87.

Physil@b

Takeen
from
http:///revistas.udistrita
al.edu.co/ojs/indeex.php/reving/artiicle/view/2276/30071

Universidad Nacional de
d
Rosario

Total

47

[8] Vega,
V
E. Muoz, G.
G Roncancio, H
H. Velasco, H. Balln, J. y Rodrguuez, C.

[9] Grber,
G
S. Vetter,, M. Eckert, B. y Jodl, H. (2008)).Experimenting from
f
a
Distaance-Remotely Co
ontrolled Laborattory (RCL). Takeen from
http:///discoverlab.com
m/References/Expperimenting%20fr
from%20a%20Disstance
.pdf

CON
NCLUSIONS
This
T
study abbout RL for the teaching of physics shhows
impo
ortant developpments over the
t last years that help percceive
a pro
ogressively grrowing use of these resources.
Many
M
projectts seeking too develop RL
L are carriedd out
jointtly by severaal universities and within
n interdiscipliinary
team
ms. That wayy they profit from the step
ps taken by oother
teach
hing centres and obtain products
p
which are much m
more
relatted to the stim
mulation of leaarning.
Some
S
RL proojects developped for the teeaching of phy
hysics
havee been describbed; in a subseequent work we
w expect to sshow
the educational
e
im
mpact that thee use of thesee tools has haad on
the teaching
t
of phhysics and on the
t learning process.

[10] Ozvoldova, M.

Cernansky, PP.

Lustig, F. y Schauer, F. (2005).

(

Expeerience with Remote Physics Expeeriments in Studeents Laboratory. Taken

from http://www.ises.info/old-site/clannky_pdf/paper2.p
pdf
uer, F. y Jae, R.. (2014). Safety of database storaage for
[11] Plka, L. Schau
ote laboratories and laboratoryy management system. Taken from
remo
http:///www.europmen
nt.org/library/20144/varna/bypaper//AMCSE/AMCSE
E13.pd
df
[12] Rodrguez, L. (2013). Diseo e im
mplementacin de
d la plataforma BooleB
Lab-Deusto para el prototipado r
rpido de sistemaas digitales mediaante el
WebL
uso de laboratorio
os remotos y realidad aumentada.
http:///weblab.deusto.e
es/pub/pfc_luis/pffc_luis.pdf

Taken

from

[13] Kofman, H. y Concari, S. (20011). Using rem

mote labs for Physcis
P
hing. In: Using Remote
R
Labs in E
Education. J. GarrcaZbia and G. Alves
teach
(Eds..): University of Deusto Publiccations, 293-308
8 (2011). Takenn from
http:///www.deusto-pu
ublicaciones.es/deeusto/pdfs/otraspu
ub/otraspub01.pddf

[14] Kofman, H. De Greef, M. Pesoa, J. y Lucero, P. (2011). Estudio del

campo magntico de un solenoide con experimento remoto y simulacin.
Revista de Enseanza de la Fsica. 24 (2), pp.55-64. Taken from
http://www.revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/revistaEF/article/view/8171/9050