Low cost, pedagogically enhanced, remote access, laboratory based instruction for developing countries

Practical, hands-on skills are of paramount importance to potential employers. In the field of network technology students must be able to configure, manage and fault diagnose networks. The world’s largest supplier of network equipment established the Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP). Institutions qualifying to become CNAP academies can purchase low cost network equipment. However, for many institutions this may still be prohibitively expensive. One solution is for institutions in developing countries to remotely access network teaching equipment in developed countries. This is potentially a cost effective solution if institutions are in different time zones. This paper demonstrates a cost-effective, pedagogically enhanced instructional platform for remote access students.   Key words: Cisco Network Academy Program (CNAP), packet tracer, network education, remote laboratories, State model diagrams.