A study of integrating remote laboratory and on-site laboratory for low-power education

This paper investigates how learning objectives can be complemented by employing a remote system to improve teaching low-power digital circuits design. The low-power design laboratory system that has been developed at the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences is composed of two laboratory types: the on-site (hands-on) and the remote laboratories to teach low-power techniques with laboratory exercises. This laboratory system enables online experiments that can be performed using physical instruments and obtaining real data. Digital circuit designers can observe the most influential factors in power dissipation during laboratory exercises in the on-site system and then use the remote laboratory to supplement investigating other factors. This contribution describes teaching activities performed during the Summer Semester 2015 using only the on-site system, and during the Summer Semester 2016 using the on-site and the remote systems. The assessment studies the achieved learning objectives, evaluates the laboratory reports with and without the support of the remote system, and analyses the students' use of the remote system. The assessment and the students' opinions provide positive feedback on this approach and verify that the remote laboratory system is a successful and effective complementary learning tool for remotely reusing the on-site laboratory and achieving additional learning objectives that cover most conceptual theories in low-power digital circuits design.