Integration of Distance Learning Technology into Traditional Engineering Physical Laboratory Exercises

The use of distance learning technology in distributed educational environments has allowed engineering courses to be delivered to locations and populations that have historically not been afforded opportunities for involvement. However, efforts to incorporate distance-learning principles into physical laboratory exercises have not led to a general mechanism or procedure for performing physical labs remotely. Removing these exercises from the course is not a satisfactory solution since physical laboratory exercises are a vital component of any educational curriculum in virtually every major field of engineering. Recently, faculty members from three universities in south Georgia have teamed up to collaboratively develop an innovative approach to integrate distance learning technology into traditional engineering physical laboratory exercises. An overview of this project and findings related to its initial phase are presented in this paper.