Ocean Virtual Laboratory: A new way to explore multi-sensor synergy demonstrated over the Agulhas region

Ocean Virtual Laboratory is an ESA-funded project to prototype the concept of a single point of access for all satellite remote-sensing data with ancillary model output and in situ measurements for a given region. The idea is to provide easy access for the non-specialist to both data and state-of-the-art processing techniques and enable their easy analysis and display. The project, led by OceanDataLab, is being trialled in the region of the Agulhas Current, as it contains signals of strong contrast (due to very energetic upper ocean dynamics) and special SAR data acquisitions have been recorded there. The project also encourages the take up of Earth Observation data by developing training material to help those not in large scientific or governmental organizations make the best use of what data are available. The website for access is: http://ovl-project.oceandatalab.com/

Next generation e-learning platform: virtual laboratory simulations

Bioscience subjects require a significant amount of training in laboratory techniques to produce highly skilled science graduates. Many techniques which are currently used in diagnostic, research and industrial laboratories require expensive equipment for single users; examples of which include next generation sequencing, quantitative PCR, mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques. The cost of the machines, reagents and limited access frequently preclude undergraduate students from using such cutting edge techniques. In addition to cost and availability, the time taken for analytical runs on equipment such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) does not necessarily fit with the limitations of timetabling. Understanding the theory underlying these techniques without the accompanying practical classes can be unexciting for students. One alternative from wet laboratory provision is to use virtual simulations of such practical which enable students to see the machines and interact with them to generate data. The Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Westminster has provided all second and third year undergraduate students with iPads so that these students all have access to a mobile device to assist with learning. We have purchased licences from Labster to access a range of virtual laboratory simulations. These virtual laboratories are fully equipped and require student responses to multiple answer questions in order to progress through the experiment. In a pilot study to look at the feasibility of the Labster virtual laboratory simulations with the iPad devices; second year Biological Science students (n=36) worked through the Labster HPLC simulation on iPads. The virtual HPLC simulation enabled students to optimise the conditions for the separation of drugs. Answers to Multiple choice questions were necessary to progress through the simulation, these focussed on the underlying principles of the HPLC technique. Following the virtual laboratory simulation students went to a real HPLC in the analytical suite in order to separate of asprin, caffeine and paracetamol. In a survey 100% of students (n=36) in this cohort agreed that the Labster virtual simulation had helped them to understand HPLC. In free text responses one student commented that "The terminology is very clear and I enjoyed using Labster very much”. One member of staff commented that “there was a very good knowledge interaction with the virtual practical”.

Linking and sharing data in the humanities and creative arts: building the HuNI Virtual Laboratory

The Humanities Networked Infrastructure (HuNI) is one of the national Virtual Laboratories that are being developed as part of the Australian government's National e-Research Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) programme. This paper examines the methodologies and technical architecture being deployed by HuNI to link and share Australian data in the humanities and creative arts.

Design, implementation and evaluation of a virtual laboratory for Computer Engineering Education

Broad consensus has been reached within the Education and Cognitive Psychology research communities on the need to center the learning process on experimentation and concrete application of knowledge, rather than on a bare transfer of notions. Several advantages arise from this educational approach, ranging from the reinforce of students learning, to the increased opportunity for a student to gain greater insight into the studied topics, up to the possibility for learners to acquire practical skills and long-lasting proficiency. This is especially true in Engineering education, where integrating conceptual knowledge and practical skills assumes a strategic importance. In this scenario, learners are called to play a primary role. They are actively involved in the construction of their own knowledge, instead of passively receiving it. As a result, traditional, teacher-centered learning environments should be replaced by novel learner-centered solutions. Information and Communication Technologies enable the development of innovative solutions that provide suitable answers to the need for the availability of experimentation supports in educational context. Virtual Laboratories, Adaptive Web-Based Educational Systems and Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning environments can significantly foster different learner-centered instructional strategies, offering the opportunity to enhance personalization, individualization and cooperation. More specifically, they allow students to explore different kinds of materials, to access and compare several information sources, to face real or realistic problems and to work on authentic and multi-facet case studies. In addition, they encourage cooperation among peers and provide support through coached and scaffolded activities aimed at fostering reflection and meta-cognitive reasoning. This dissertation will guide readers within this research field, presenting both the theoretical and applicative results of a research aimed at designing an open, flexible, learner-centered virtual lab for supporting students in learning Information Security.

Development and implementation of a virtual laboratory for training process improvement in the mechanics of continuous media

The project arises from the need to develop improved teaching methodologies in field of the mechanics of continuous media. The objective is to offer the student a learning process to acquire the necessary theoretical knowledge, cognitive skills and the responsibility and autonomy to professional development in this area. Traditionally the teaching of the concepts of these subjects was performed through lectures and laboratory practice. During these lessons the students attitude was usually passive, and therefore their effectiveness was poor. The proposed methodology has already been successfully employed in universities like University Bochum, Germany, University the South Australia and aims to improve the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition through use by the student of a virtual laboratory. This laboratory allows to adapt the curricula and learning techniques to the European Higher Education and improve current learning processes in the University School of Public Works Engineers -EUITOP- of the Technical University of Madrid -UPM-, due there are not laboratories in this specialization. The virtual space is created using a software platform built on OpenSim, manages 3D virtual worlds, and, language LSL -Linden Scripting Language-, which imprints specific powers to objects. The student or user can access this virtual world through their avatar -your character in the virtual world- and can perform practices within the space created for the purpose, at any time, just with computer with internet access and viewfinder. The virtual laboratory has three partitions. The virtual meeting rooms, where the avatar can interact with peers, solve problems and exchange existing documentation in the virtual library. The interactive game room, where the avatar is has to resolve a number of issues in time. And the video room where students can watch instructional videos and receive group lessons. Each audiovisual interactive element is accompanied by explanations framing it within the area of knowledge and enables students to begin to acquire a vocabulary and practice of the profession for which they are being formed. Plane elasticity concepts are introduced from the tension and compression testing of test pieces of steel and concrete. The behavior of reticulated and articulated structures is reinforced by some interactive games and concepts of tension, compression, local and global buckling will by tests to break articulated structures. Pure bending concepts, simple and composite torsion will be studied by observing a flexible specimen. Earthquake resistant design of buildings will be checked by a laboratory test video.

A COMUNICAÇÃO COM MÍDIAS DIGITAIS: UMA PROPOSTA DE MODELO TRANSDISCIPLINAR

Historicamente, ao serem criadas, novas mídias se apropriam de recursos de linguagens de outras mídias pré-existentes. Na medida em que as tecnologias da mídia se desenvolvem o mesmo ocorre com as linguagens, de forma a adaptarem-se, simultaneamente, ao meio e mensagens; modos de produção; e condições ideais de interação com os usuários. As mídias digitais, por sua natureza, dispõem de interfaces performáticas imagens-pensantes que permitem mais que a simples representação estética de conteúdos. Neste contexto, se insere a problemática desta pesquisa: Quais teorias transdisciplinares podem contribuir para a compreensão dos complexos processos comunicacionais que envolvem o relacionamento entre seres humanos e mídias digitais com propósito de aprendizagem? O objetivo desta pesquisa foi o de estender o modelo desenvolvido por Stephen Littlejohn e incluir novos conceitos e generalizações, provenientes de outros ramos da ciência com diferentes 'visões de mundo', visando ampliar a proposta de Littlejohn para um Modelo Transdisciplinar para Comunicação com Mídias Digitais, que, em nossa perspectiva, contribui para explicar os fenômenos pertinentes à relação de humanos com mídias digitais, principalmente em processos de aprendizagem de ciências. A pesquisa foi feita com métodos de pesquisa Bibliográfica e Descritiva.(AU)

A COMUNICAÇÃO COM MÍDIAS DIGITAIS: UMA PROPOSTA DE MODELO TRANSDISCIPLINAR

Historicamente, ao serem criadas, novas mídias se apropriam de recursos de linguagens de outras mídias pré-existentes. Na medida em que as tecnologias da mídia se desenvolvem o mesmo ocorre com as linguagens, de forma a adaptarem-se, simultaneamente, ao meio e mensagens; modos de produção; e condições ideais de interação com os usuários. As mídias digitais, por sua natureza, dispõem de interfaces performáticas imagens-pensantes que permitem mais que a simples representação estética de conteúdos. Neste contexto, se insere a problemática desta pesquisa: Quais teorias transdisciplinares podem contribuir para a compreensão dos complexos processos comunicacionais que envolvem o relacionamento entre seres humanos e mídias digitais com propósito de aprendizagem? O objetivo desta pesquisa foi o de estender o modelo desenvolvido por Stephen Littlejohn e incluir novos conceitos e generalizações, provenientes de outros ramos da ciência com diferentes 'visões de mundo', visando ampliar a proposta de Littlejohn para um Modelo Transdisciplinar para Comunicação com Mídias Digitais, que, em nossa perspectiva, contribui para explicar os fenômenos pertinentes à relação de humanos com mídias digitais, principalmente em processos de aprendizagem de ciências. A pesquisa foi feita com métodos de pesquisa Bibliográfica e Descritiva.(AU)

A COMUNICAÇÃO COM MÍDIAS DIGITAIS: UMA PROPOSTA DE MODELO TRANSDISCIPLINAR

Historicamente, ao serem criadas, novas mídias se apropriam de recursos de linguagens de outras mídias pré-existentes. Na medida em que as tecnologias da mídia se desenvolvem o mesmo ocorre com as linguagens, de forma a adaptarem-se, simultaneamente, ao meio e mensagens; modos de produção; e condições ideais de interação com os usuários. As mídias digitais, por sua natureza, dispõem de interfaces performáticas imagens-pensantes que permitem mais que a simples representação estética de conteúdos. Neste contexto, se insere a problemática desta pesquisa: Quais teorias transdisciplinares podem contribuir para a compreensão dos complexos processos comunicacionais que envolvem o relacionamento entre seres humanos e mídias digitais com propósito de aprendizagem? O objetivo desta pesquisa foi o de estender o modelo desenvolvido por Stephen Littlejohn e incluir novos conceitos e generalizações, provenientes de outros ramos da ciência com diferentes 'visões de mundo', visando ampliar a proposta de Littlejohn para um Modelo Transdisciplinar para Comunicação com Mídias Digitais, que, em nossa perspectiva, contribui para explicar os fenômenos pertinentes à relação de humanos com mídias digitais, principalmente em processos de aprendizagem de ciências. A pesquisa foi feita com métodos de pesquisa Bibliográfica e Descritiva.(AU)

ASELL : the advancing science by enhancing learning in the laboratory project

Most science educators and researchers will agree that the laboratory experience ranks as a major factor that influences students’ attitudes to their science courses. Consequently, good laboratory programs should play a major role in influencing student learning and performance. The laboratory program can be pivotal in defining a student's experience in the sciences, and if done poorly, can be a major contributing factor in causing disengagement from the subject area. The challenge remains to provide students with laboratory activities that are relevant, engaging and offer effective learning opportunities.

A laboratory manual for work in general science,

Mode of access: Internet.

Emotionally intense science activities

Science activities that evoke positive emotional responses make a difference to students’ emotional experience of science. In this study, we explored 8th Grade students’ discrete emotions expressed during science activities in a unit on Energy. Multiple data sources including classroom videos, interviews and emotion diaries completed at the end of each lesson were analysed to identify individual student's emotions. Results from two representative students are presented as case studies. Using a theoretical perspective drawn from theories of emotions founded in sociology, two assertions emerged. First, during the demonstration activity, students experienced the emotions of wonder and surprise; second, during a laboratory activity, students experienced the intense positive emotions of happiness/joy. Characteristics of these activities that contributed to students’ positive experiences are highlighted. The study found that choosing activities that evoked strong positive emotional experiences, focused students’ attention on the phenomenon they were learning, and the activities were recalled positively. Furthermore, such positive experiences may contribute to students’ interest and engagement in science and longer term memorability. Finally, implications for science teachers and pre-service teacher education are suggested.

Aprenentatge interactiu a través de l'experimentació: un laboratori virtual de psicologia bàsica

El Laboratori Virtual de Psicologia Bàsica (LVPB) és una eina que pretén aprofitar les noves tecnologies per donar un nou enfocament al procés d’aprenentatge dels processos psicològics bàsics. Amb el LVPB s’acompanya a l’estudiant en un recorregut a través d’experiments que s’han convertit en clàssics de la Psicologia Cognitiva amb l’objectiu d’assolir coneixements relacionats amb els processos cognitius a partir de la pròpia experiència. La plataforma conté experiments provinents de l’estudi de l’atenció, l’emoció, el llenguatge, la memòria, la motivació, el pensament i la percepció