Publication

Abstract : There is an explosive growth in e-Learning platforms, jointly developed by multiple institutions, which provide for virtual learning content. However, many are inadequate to support the complex requirements for collaborative development of distributed learning such as accommodation of wide-ranging technologies, servers, and remote equipment controlled by diverse software. Our solution is a multi-tier architecture that supports collaborative development, publishing in various online and print formats, security, audit, and access controls. Our design considerations include a highly scalable platform, use of open technologies, templates that provide pedagogical structure, multilingual functionality, and shared virtual availability of lab equipment from multiple geographic locations, along with secure access to remote equipment. Our platform, VLCAP (Virtual Labs Collaboration and Accessibility Platform), provides structure yet flexibility to all users, includin developers, educators, and students. It offers extensive pedagogical support to lab developers in structuring the learning environment yet provides learners with a similar look and feel despite varying technologies used in the building of the labs. The learning environment consists of screens or tabs associated with various aspects of pedagogy such as conceptual background and theory, procedures, video demonstrations, animations, mathematically accurate simulations, and online access to remote equipment as well as learning assessment tools. This allows learners to systematically master conceptual, procedural, experimental, and reporting skills. Lab developers may tailor both the order and the presentation style to suit various teaching styles as well as diverse student needs. VLCAP is currently being used to drive two nationwide ICT projects under the Digital India initiative - Online Labs (OLabs) for school education and Virtual Labs for higher education. We include examples from OLabs and the remote triggered wireless sensor network lab (RT WSN Lab) to demonstrate the pedagogical structure available for lab developers to build effective environments for learners. Today VLCAP has over 350,000 registered learners and a few million unregistered users from around the world. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018.