مارسا12

 

Abstract

 

Virtual Laboratories in a virtual learning environment are indispensable spaces for developing practical activities.

This paper proposes an integrated structure for virtual laboratories for undergraduate degree programmes in computer engineering and software engineering.

The general structure proposed is based on the experience gained in designing and developing virtual laboratories during the past eleven years in a virtual university technological ,pedagogical ,strategic and academic staff resources are included In the

Virtual  laboratories   structure. the   proposed  structure has been applied to different computer areas and this paper presents the special case of a virtual programming laboratory. Its effectiveness has been evaluated by the students using a web questionnaire.

Index term –A

Practical laboratory Activities , virtual laboratory ,virtual learning environment and virtual programming laboratory.

I.introduction

During the past fifteen years , a huge growth in universities that need to students through distance learning environments has been observed.

Today there exist several scenarios of distance learning.

This paper deals with the virtual modality named virtual distance learning, where all processes, academic and administrative ,are carried out in a virtual environment[1].

The open university of catalonia (uoc) is a fully virtual university that uses a virtual campus to teach in a virtual learning environment(vle).

The uoc was created in 1994 to respond to the new reality and fulfill the new needs of students. The virtual campus contains similar facilities to those that can be found on a conventional university campus: teaching, research , dissemination of  knowledge ,student services ,as well as virtual laboratories. Nowadays ,there are three are undergraduate degree programmes in engineering :software engineering , computer engineering and telecommunication engineering offered by the uoc.

According to computer curricula 2005[2], practical laboratory activities are an essential part of any computer curriculum since they strengthen concepts presented during lectures . for that reason ,new virtual spaces are required in a virtual university so practical activities can be carried out . such spaces are called virtual laboratories(vlabs) and should include different kind of activites ranging from designing and implementing solutions, to testing and documenting several applications , system and processes.

The main contribution og this paper is the conception and definition of a general structure for vlabs , applied to a specific virtual programming laboratory (vplab), that allow student to perform paractical activities on undergraduate degree programmes in computer engineering [3]and software engineering[4], in a vle.

The paper is organized as follow .in section II a revision of the existing proposals for vlab is provided.