Evaluation of a virtual teaching laboratory for signal processing education

The paper presents our experience in teaching a digital signal processing (DSP) course in an Australian postgraduate program entirely using virtual tele-lectures. A virtual teaching laboratory was designed for this purpose, allowing students to receive fully interactive, real time lectures delivered from a remote international location. We present the methodology and technology used to develop a complete set of tele-lectures and online tools for a course entitled ´Signal processing and applications´. An evaluation of student opinions towards the virtual teaching laboratory revealed that 90% of students rapidly became comfortable with the use of this new educational facility, among other results. The overall experience with the VTL was that signal processing can be effectively and naturally taught in this mode and that there are great potential benefits in connecting the signal processing research and educational community.