A SEMI-VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR REMOTE ACCESS

The use of modern technologies has become an important part of the learning and teaching process, and the application of these technologies helps learners learn from their own interests. There is no doubt that modern technology of learning a foreign language contributes to improving the quality of students’ studying, the formation and development of their communicative culture. The introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into education creates new paradigms of learning. There is no consensus among scholars in the classification of modern technologies, active and interactive teaching methods, but the necessity of their use in the educational process is proved by the majority of leading domestic and foreign researchers. The purpose of the article is to highlight the role of using of modern technologies in learning and teaching of a foreign language (English) as a second language. The state of the research of the problem of using of modern technologies in learning and teaching of a foreign language (English) has been revealed. The concept of «technology» has been defined, namely, we define the technology of learning as a system that optimally uses modern methods, techniques, forms and means of learning in order to ensure the final result. The necessity of using of modern technologies in the process of learning and teaching of a foreign language (English) has been analyzed. Relevant modern technologies for learning and teaching of a foreign language (English) have been selected. The problems that arise in the process of application of the technologies have been investigated and analyzed. To solve the tasks, the following set of research methods was used: theoretical - analysis of scientific sources, pedagogical, psychological literature and teaching materials, comparison; empirical − generalization of pedagogical experience; analysis of products of activities (analysis of work programs and curricula). As a result of the study, appropriate recommendations for the implementation of these technologies have been provided.

In the frame of the E.U. Leonardo da Vinci project it was accomplished the research and development of several solutions for the distance (and mobile) access to remote reconfigurable laboratory work-benches for e-Learning within electrical engineering education. The authors implemented session-based step-by-step- / auto-mated- (synchronous or asynchronous) test & measurement sequences with remote access - fixed (to rich content) or mobile (with content-to-terminal adaptation), oriented on equipment (with instrument virtualization) or on application with a high degree of visualization (ranging from web-cam monitoring to hyper-schematics). The hardware, netware and software developed (in co-design based on Hewlett-Packard Measurement Subsystems Architecture) is ranging from proprietary solutions to highest degrees of standardized interfacing (mainly IEEE 488.2 GPIB), SCPI instrumentation control, dedicated drivers or Interchange-able Virtual Instruments, IVI, and Measurement Studios software. From the industrial informatics point of view, the present paper is oriented on case studies based on National Instruments LabVIEW suite.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in virtual practical labs is revolutionizing the education sector by providing immersive, adaptive, and cost-effective learning experiences. Virtual labs offer significant advantages, such as flexibility, scalability, and accessibility. This paper explores the current state of AI-driven virtual labs, their benefits, challenges, and future prospect, especially in the context of STEM education and research.We analyse AI applications in laboratory simulations, personalized learning, automated assessment, and real-time feedback. Virtual practical lab powered by AI – enhance Virtual Practical labs provide impressive, interactive ,and personalized learning experience, enabling students to conduct experiments in simulated environment that conduct mimic real- world scenarios .Furthermore, we discuss ethical considerations, technological advancements, and case studies of AI-based virtual labs in science, engineering, and medical education. It’s impact on modern education, and the challenges associated with the implementation. The research concludes with recommendations for optimizing AI in virtual practical labs for enhanced pedagogical outcomes.

This research, conducted as part of the curriculum in the discipline of Modern Learning Technologies, explores strategies for improving the training of future teachers in response to the dynamic educational landscape. The discipline is an integral component of the educational program designed for students aspiring to become educators. A total of 12 students participated in the study, engaging in a collaborative and iterative process to identify key areas for enhancement in teacher training. The rapid evolution of learning technologies necessitates a proactive approach in preparing future teachers for the challenges and opportunities in the educational landscape. In this study, students enrolled in the educational program for prospective teachers played an active role in the research process. The objective was to leverage the insights and perspectives of these students to identify areas for improvement in teacher training. Twelve students participating in the study were enrolled in the Modern Learning Technologies course. This cohort engaged in a rapid foresight approach, involving activities such as focus group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative workshops. The methodology aimed to gather diverse opinions on emerging trends in education and technology and to envision potential future scenarios. The findings of the study highlighted key trends in modern learning technologies, including advancements in educational technology, shifts in learning preferences, and evolving classroom dynamics. Students actively contributed to scenario-building exercises, providing valuable input into the skills and competencies they deemed essential for future teachers. The assessment of current teacher training programs revealed areas where adjustments and enhancements were deemed necessary. The active involvement of students in the research process proved to be instrumental in gaining firsthand insights into the needs and expectations of future educators. Collaborative workshops facilitated a co-creation of strategies for improving teacher training programs, ensuring that the enhancements were aligned with the dynamic nature of the educational environment. This research, conducted within the framework of the Modern Learning Technologies course, emphasizes the significance of involving students in the foresight process for enhancing teacher training. The collaborative and iterative nature of the approach ensures that the strategies developed are responsive to the evolving trends and needs in education. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, incorporating student perspectives into teacher training becomes imperative for fostering effective and adaptive educators.

Facilitating the Creation of Virtual and Remote Laboratories for Science and Engineering Education

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Session 1330 Assessing Readiness for Self-directed Learning Thomas Litzinger, John Wise, SangHa Lee, and Stefani Bjorklund Penn State University Introduction The ABET engineering accreditation criteria bring lifelong learning to the forefront for all engineering educators. In the past, our role in lifelong learning was primarily offering courses and degree programs for practicing engineers through continuing education and on our campuses. Now the accreditation criteria demand that we prepare engineering students to engage in lifelong learning. While this level of emphasis on preparing students for lifelong learning is new, the significance attached to lifelong learning, and in particular continuing education, within the engineering profession is not. Lifelong learning in engineering has been recognized as critical for decades. The Final Report of the Goals Committee on Engineering Education, written in 1968, contained a discussion of the importance of lifelong learning.1 In 1978, the theme of the ASEE Annual Conference was “Career Management – Lifelong Learning.” Over the years there have been a number of studies to investigate the types of activities involved in lifelong learning, their frequency of use, the types of support systems required for lifelong learning, barriers to lifelong learning, and impact of lifelong learning for individual engineers. Many of these studies are summarized in a 1985 report by an NRC panel. 2 Lifelong learning is an issue of importance for engineers around the world. UNESCO sponsored several significant studies including “Advances in the continuing education of engineers.”3 The report resulting from this study summarizes practices in continuing education in a number of countries, both developed and developing, and also the delivery systems used. UNESCO played a central role in the formation of the International Society for Continuing Engineering Education in 1986. Clearly, however, lifelong learning occurs through more channels than just continuing education. In 1986, Cervero et al. interviewed nearly 500 engineers by telephone in the area of Rockport, IL.4 Seventy-two percent of the engineers surveyed were at the BS level and more than one half were under the age of 35. Due to the nature of the businesses in the area, the sample contained predominantly mechanical engineers, 53%, with electrical engineers accounting for an additional 22%. The survey was structured to investigate the participation of the engineers in the three modes of learning proposed by Houle5: instruction, inquiry, and performance. Cervero et al. summarize these three modes of learning as follows: Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

Аrticle analyzes the definition of the concept of “virtual laboratory”, considers the features of using virtual laboratories at various stages of laboratory work, gives examples and indicates the advantages of creating them for the training system for teachers of vocational education in food technology. A design model for the functioning of a virtual training laboratory using algorithms for the operation of technological equipment is proposed. The ways of implementing modern approaches in the preparation of future teachers of vocational training in food technology are presented. The algorithm of virtual laboratory work is considered on the example of the discipline "Equipment of restaurant facilities" in the simulation format. The implementation of laboratory work in virtual laboratories contributes to the formation of the intellectual development of students, allows pedagogically balanced use of modern software in the educational process and the assimilation of knowledge at a more conscious and deep level. The positive dynamics of the qualitative indicators of the formation of professional competence of future teachers of vocational training was followed after classes using virtual laboratory work. In the process of developing the virtual laboratory work we presented, psychological requirements were taken into account, the essence of which is a phased solution of problem situations programmed by the teacher, which strengthen the students' semantic and logical activity. A thorough mastery of the knowledge gained during the execution of the virtual laboratory complex provides an appropriate level of development of scientific developments and technological management of the educational process. The structure of virtual laboratory work presented by us makes it possible to provide such components of the learning process as enhancing knowledge to perform research and control knowledge.Keywords: virtual laboratory, vocational training teachers, food technology, laboratory work, technological equipment.

Remote and Virtual Labs for Engineering Education 4.0: Achievements of the ELLI project at the TU Dortmund University

Learning is a process that involves educators, students, teaching materials, learning resources, learning media, and methods. The conventional method, whose main source of knowledge is only from educators, is considered to be less effective if it is the only source of knowledge transfer to students. The boring learning process, the media used in Digital Electronics courses is a simulator, the features presented in the simulator are less interesting. So it was appointed a research study on the development of the IoT Remote Lab learning tool with Blended Learning Digital Electronics Subjects in accordance with the Industrial Revolution era 4.0. This study aims to determine the stages and feasibility of developing the IoT Remote Lab learning tool with a valid, practical, and effective Blended Learning method in the Department of Electronics Education Faculty of Engineering Universitas Negeri Makassar (FT-UNM). The research method used by Research and Development (R&D) with the 4D development model (1), (2) planning, (3) development, and (4) distribution. The results of this study indicate that the Remote Lab IoT learning tool with the Blended Learning method has a very valid category to use. Got a response from students who said it was very practical in its use and the results of student test scores after implementation had increased. It was concluded that the data stated that the Remote Lab IoT learning device with the Blended Learning method that had been developed was declared valid/feasible to use as well as practical and efficient in its use.

This paper presents a remote laboratory for industrial automation comprising different programmable logic controller (PLC) manufacturers. This facility provides an environment for remote users to learn many automation topics while using different PLCs together with several types of sensors, actuators, and industrial communication networks. The laboratory architecture that makes up the remote automation laboratory (RAL) is based on a Moodle-server master PC (MPC), which also manages the booking system of PLC benches available in the laboratory. There exist a cluster of virtual machines (VMs) running on several slave PCs (SPCs), four VMs per SPC. Each VM can manage a type of PLC bench of the automation laboratory. The MPC server balances the load of SPCs allowing the implementation and easy upgrading of the RAL offering different PLCs at the same time within the same remote interface. The remote laboratory has Internet protocol cameras providing a view of the real environment of each PLC bench to the remote user. The authentication system and management of remote users and PLC benches are made via Moodle plug-ins and hypertext preprocessor (PHP) scripts. Two external/internal routers dynamically configure the remote users' access to a particular PLC bench. RAL architecture can be applied to other e-learning areas.

The article examines the essence of the concept of "digital competence" and establishes that it is an important component of the general professional competence of a modern teacher. Its components and content are outlined, it is stated that digital competence includes interaction with digital devices and modern technologies for learning, work and social activities. Particular attention is paid to the conditions for future elementary school teachers to acquire digital competence in the modern digital informational educational environment. The main advantages of the modern digital information educational environment are: ensuring wide access to learning at a convenient time and, accordingly, increasing the speed of passing the educational program by individual students; creation of conditions for implementation of differentiated and complex training; changing the main role of designing educational tasks from the role of the teacher; transformation of the organization, management and evaluation of education, presentation of educational materials and management of the educational process. It has been proven that digital competence requires constant development for effective professional activity in today's changing environment. Acquiring digital competence contributes to the general development of the competencies of the future primary school teacher, increases his professional skills, ensures competitiveness in the labor market, promotes personal development, continuous education, develops the ability to apply acquired knowledge and integrate it into existing knowledge, actively use digital technologies in the educational process, increases the quality of education. The formation and development of digital competence is considered as a process of acquiring stable, integrated and systematized knowledge in pedagogy, psychology, informatics, computer technologies, teaching methods, the ability to apply them in new situations, personal qualities and the ability to achieve significant results in professional activities. It can be concluded that the implementation of digital technologies in education is not only the use of new digital tools, but above all the creation of an environment that offers innovative learning opportunities, designing individual educational routes and creating unique educational electronic/digital products.

Laboratory experiments play a significant role in engineering education. The experience gathered during the labs is one of the most important experiences during studying engineering because there is a strong connection between theory and practical relevance. A tele-operative testing cell for material characterization for forming processes is presented. This testing cell is used as a remote lab so that students can gain their experiences location and time-independent via the internet. In addition, the tele-operative testing cell is also used within the scope of lectures to combine the theory with live experiments in interaction with the students. The main aspects are, on the one hand, the developments in the field of engineering and the implementation of the IT components like iLab and, on the other hand, the integration of the tele-operative testing cell into engineering education.

This paper presents the use of a remote access laboratory, a WebLab, with real equipments and systems that can be controlled remotely by the web. At the approach, the WebLab allows the development of multidisciplinary experiments in control and automation areas that can be used as a tool for engineering education and for research projects. This first WebLab includes an application that allows the remote access using a page on internet for drive control of a DC motor. Using this application the user can perform experiments as the open loop test in DC motor in order to obtain non-parametric system model and tuning of PID controller to ensure efficient speed and position motor control.

Explosive growth of Web-based applications has been witnessed over the past few years. Customers are moving more and more towards multi-step business-to-business and customer-to-business services. Many innovative approaches have been designed for several purposes including educational facilities. This paper introduces a telecommunication platform for heterogeneous network interoperability. Such a platform will operate within a scientific and technological virtual laboratory framework. The main concept relies upon a generic virtual laboratory from which other specific laboratories might be instantiated. Acting as a server, the proposed telecommunication platform should be able to allow remote access for clients using different media, networks, and platforms, with a minimum level of quality of service and reliability. Designed as a multi-layered model, this platform can be seen as a valuable and open component paving the way for further developments and extensions in distance learning.

This work presents the use of technological tools and remote laboratories developed in order to teaching process control in engineering courses. The proposal is to demonstrate tools that can be used to allow teaching mediated by technologies, with their benefits and limitations, considering the need to carry out practical activities to complement the theoretical classes aiming at better assimilation of the contents for an effective learning. Furthermore, an overview of projects using remote laboratories developed are presented, such as: “WebLab for Speed ??and Position Control of DC Motor”, “WebLab for Mobile Robot Motion Control”, “WebLab for Temperature Control of a Didactic Oven" and finally a "Level Control System with Remote Web Access". This last remote laboratory will be detailed showing the didactic resources used, the available functionalities, the experiments available and the first steps for those who want to implement a remote laboratory for process control.