An overview of system architectures for Remote Laboratories

Remote Access Laboratories have been successfully installed around the world enabling students to practice practical skills and develop their knowledge through experimentation. Remote laboratories have the advantage of being accessible from anywhere anytime allowing users more flexibility and mobility. Typically installations are designed to resolve issues of access or utilization. Clear pedagogical design is now seen as a critical development in the instigation of new experiments, and access systems. This paper examines existing system designs, using a Program Logic analysis to identify key inputs, outputs, and impacts for the creation of systems. It aims to identify commonalities, or differentiation with respect to the original goals. Through this analysis it was identified that many RAL systems implement direct mimic user interface design focusing on individual access to a kinesthetic learning experience. Learning design is also typically implemented by the system and experiment designers, potentially reducing the impact of the system or activity usability.