Abstract:

In this contribution we present the undergoing experiences developed for the Optical Communications, Laboratory of Optical Communication and Optical Comunication Systems subjects given in the ETSI Telecomunicación and the EPS Gandía schools. The general objective of this initiative is to unload part of the contents traditionally given by standard lessons to pupil’s self-guided practices employing the available Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). In this way, we think those tools can facilitate the progressively adaptation to the European High Education Area.

More specifically the proposed tools are centred into two basic approaches: 1) Virtual Laboratories (VL) and Remote Laboratories (RL). This two strategies are based on ITCs completely available on campus and they provide some specific benefits: Temporal unlimited availability of the resources, interoperability between lecturers, self-study and self regulation of the study time by the pupil, better use of laboratory equipment, time table flexibility and improvement in the diversity and availability of practice offers.

Virtual Laboratories general characteristics

Virtual Laboratories allow the mathematical resolution of complex physical systems, providing remote and inter-active execution. Two of the powerful features of the tool are the all time availability and the any where and any computer platform compatibility. VL are executed in a central computer at the UPV premises and the user interface is executed in any standard WEB browser with internet connection. The user interface provides the guide lines and the input parameters for the specific model under study can be inserted by the pupil. Simulation time and data representation can be controlled to perform almost instantaneous responses providing high degree of interactivity.

We can summarise some of the possibilities that VL provides:

1) Self-study by the pupil:
o Practices about specific aspects of the mater unloading the traditional teacher’s lessons. Self-study should be followed by the proper auto-evaluation or by marked proves.
o Practices for additional support on specific aspects already given in the standard lessons in order to consolidate the knowledge.
2) In the lecturer work:
o VL can be used as an additional tool into the classroom to facilitate the explanation of complex systems.
o Resources sharing between lecturers is very simple due to the own nature

Remote Laboratories (RL) general characteristics

Nowadays UPV offer studies of Communications Engendering in different campus located geographically apart – Valencia, Gandía, Alcoy. Some of the laboratory equipments required to carry out the practical lessons in laboratory can be required by different groups and/or schools. Added to the elevated cost of this instrumentation is the inefficiency and great risk of their continuous moving.

We propose the use of real instrumentation in laboratory lessons by controlled and executed remotely by means of ICT possibilities, using LAN or internet features.

We have developed an application based on the client/server model that provide:
• Remote control and management of instrumentation set up
• Reconfigurability of the “under test” device or set of devices by means of a network of optical switches.
• Transmission of the measured traces to the remote user-controler
• Control of the simultaneous access by different users to the application and permission management.

Keywords:

virtual laboratories, remote laboratories, simulation tools.