Online labs for distance learners: reflections from an Irish pilot study

This presentation presented at International Symposium for Engineering Education, 2008, Dublin City University, Ireland, discusses the introduction of remote online laboratory (lab) work into Communications Technology modules of an undergraduate BSC. in Information Technology (IT) by distance learning. The role of online labs and virtual instruments in undergraduate education is discussed and how they relate to physical labs. Outcomes are presented of a pilot introduction of online virtual labs. An argument is made that the introduction of online virtual lab work is worthwhile. We also argue it is increasingly feasible if suitable tools can be inexpensively sourced, such as from digital learning repositories as described here.