Client-Server Architecture for Collaborative Lecture-Led Remote Experimentation

Constant innovation and product evolution in the area of embedded systems necessitates educational institutions and other training providers to continuingly re-assess the content and delivery of engineering curricula. Increasingly web based distance education courses are on offer, augmented by the provision of remote experimentation laboratories, facilitating distant access to campus based physical resources. However the majority of laboratories developed to date have suffered from a major deficiency, namely the provision of a web based environment that accurately recreates the lecturer led and group working experience of traditional oncampus based laboratories. This paper describes an integrated teaching environment which allows for the provision of live lecturer-led practical remote experimentation sessions for geographically dispersed students. The approach implemented effectively and accurately recreates a similar level of lecturer-student and student-student interaction remotely as in a traditional campus based laboratory environment, which in turn increases the effectiveness and flexibility of online course delivery.