Abstract:

In this article we want to share our experience in developing the software module of a system for remote access to real laboratory exercises in engineering disciplines, as well as its functionalities and characteristics. The need to create such a system is determined by two main factors. In the first place there are the rapidly developing information and communication technologies, which allow an inert system such as higher education to be updated and to provide future graduates with an educational environment and resources adequate to modern business. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the traditional face-to-face university training very quickly to switch to a distance option. That is why the introduction of innovative methods and tools in teaching and learning in universities in a pandemic was the main motive of our team in developing a system for remote access to laboratory exercises and their remote implementation.
The system for remote access to a real engineering laboratory consists of two main modules: hardware and software module. The hardware module contains a laboratory model and measuring equipment.

The software module of the system presented in this article uses a client-server architecture. The programming languages PHP, Python3.8, JavaScript, HTML and MySQL are used in the development of the system software. The web application of the system uses PHP and PHP libraries, the language is platform independent and allows to integrate HTML, CSS, JavaScript code into the script code. The information about the users and the schedule of the experiments are stored in the MySQL database. The system supports two types of accounts - student and teacher. The interface of the web application provides an opportunity for students to book an experiment at a convenient time interval, and for this purpose they must fill out a standard web form. The home page of the system presents in tabular form the schedule of laboratory exercises and a link to them for registered students. After the student opens the web page of the experiment, he gets access to the theoretical materials related to the running experiment and the button to start the experiment. There is also a connection between the teacher and the students through a developed chat client.

Implementing the concept of remote access to real laboratories would give universities a powerful tool in training future engineers in a pandemic, as virtual training cannot completely replace the student's physical presence in the real laboratory and the experience which is acquired there.

Keywords:

Remote laboratory, distance education, Remote Laboratory Management System (RLMS), COVID-19 pandemic, PHP, MySQL, Python3.8, Bootstrap, XAMPP.