Hypermedia Modules for Distance Learning

The rapid development of digital, networked multimedia technology such as the Internet, e-mail and computer-based and video conferencing can open new educational opportunities. This chapter describes the use of hypermedia modules in distance learning. This educational experience has been developed by the Department of Electronics (Dipartimento di Elettronica) of the Politecnico of Torino (Italy) in the field of computer-based training in electronic instrumentation and measurements, where the author was a supervisor for the educational process. This project is a part of an Italian study of distance education named “Consorzio Nettuno” that involves different undergraduate courses (Electronic Engineering, Information Technology, and Economic Science). Several modules have been developed using multimedia technologies to assist the students to acquire the fundamentals of the basic electronic instrumentation. A client-server system has been designed in order to allow the students to operate in a remote laboratory for experimental training. The courseware includes lessons, exercises, and training on virtual instruments that emulate actual instruments. The students can also carry out several real laboratory experiments without actually being in the laboratory by using a clientserver structure based on the Internet.