Web-Based Collaborative Learning Architecture for Remote Experiment on Control of Bioreactor's Environment

The unprecedented growth in Internet technologies has created revolutionary changes in collaborative working in an on-line environment with round the world accessibility. The adoption of collaborative learning tools with remote laboratory enhances the experiential learning aspects of engineering education. This paper presents a collaborative learning and remote experiment on the control of a bioreactor environment by establishing communication between the process control computer and remote users through the Internet. The software application is developed using graphical programming tools to control the process parameters and to set the control constants associated with the PID control system. The LabVIEW virtual instruments transfer information to web clients is performed using web server and standard internet browsers for data access. Multimedia features are added to the architecture to supplement the teaching and learning activities. The proposed system structure and functionalities tend towards the translation of traditional collaborative characteristics into an Internet based on-line collaborative learning environment.