(Published in "New Network-based Media in Education", pp 51-59, Proceedings of the International CoLoS Conference, September 17-18, 1998, Maribor, Slovenia)

Abstract

REMOTE CONTROL: HOW SCIENCE STUDENTS CAN LEARN USING INTERNET-BASED EXPERIMENTS

HUGH M. CARTWRIGHT

Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University

South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, England

E-mail: Hugh.Cartwright@chem.ox.ac.uk

Computers are now an essential aid to teaching. They gather and analyze data, access remote databases, perform calculations, manage simulations and run Computer Aided Learning (CAL) exercises, among other tasks. Their use is particularly prevalent in scientific subjects, since these lend themselves well to computer-mediated learning. However, science students need to learn also through hands-on experience with scientific equipment.

The continuing and rapid reduction in the cost of computer power has not been matched by a parallel reduction in the cost of scientific equipment, so it is often hard to provide the facilities required by students to study the practical aspects of science. Universities and schools with small science departments may have difficulty maintaining a suitable stock of even fairly basic equipment.

Partly to address this difficulty, we have developed an experiment which is freely accessible through the Internet. The primary role of the experiment is to form part of the 1st year course in chemistry at Oxford University, but its principles are more broadly applicable within science teaching.

A standard web browser is used to send an electronic request to a small optical rig at Oxford. The request is interpreted by a computer connected to the rig, data are gathered as specified by the request, and these are then returned to the user for display and manipulation. In our practical course the experiment is used to illustrate simple statistical ideas and reasoning, but the data the rig supplies can also be used in other ways. The rig is simple to communicate with, and, learning from our experience and that of our external users, we intend to develop further experiments, through which Internet users can have access to more sophisticated equipment and instrumentation.

This paper discusses the main features of the rig and its use, including access from outside Oxford.