Title of Initiative / Project
Computerised laboratory in science and technology teaching - ComLab-1 and ComLab-2
Name of Organiser
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education
Start and ending date of the Initiative
2001-2004
2005-2007
Was the initiative carried out in the framework of a funded project?
Yes
Funding Programme
Leonardo Da Vinci
Title of the project
Computerised laboratory in science and technology teaching
Promoter
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education
Project number
ComLab-1: SI 143008
ComLab-2 : SI-05-B-F-PP-176008
Type of deliverables
Online course
Thematic area
Chemistry, Physics, Biology, ICT, Science
Language of the deliverable
Bulgarian, Other EU, Spanish, English
Target Group
Teachers, Students
Description of the initiative
The main objective of the ComLab project was to integrate different ICT tools in science and technology teaching. Two aspects were emphasised:
a) "Real laboratory" exercises, based on a computer data acquisition and control system, recognising that importance of practical experimentation and laboratory work has not decreased in the era of ICT.
b) "Virtual laboratory" activities, based on computer simulations of various science phenomena and complicated, expensive and/or inaccessible devices.
Both aspects were integrated through example courses based on interactive html documents. In the courses, computer supported practical experimentation was upgraded with computer simulations and other multimedia components (video clips, animations, graphics, etc).
The ComLab-2 project aims to continue and widen the recent ComLab-1 project. The objective of integrating "real" and "virtual" computerised laboratories in science and technology teaching remains. Since the effectiveness of the ComLab design for integrating science disciplines was ascertained during the first project, ComLab-2 extends this aspect of the integration of physics, biology and chemistry to associated technology disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, agriculture, food industry, etc.
The products can be divided into the following three groups:
• Course material supporting laboratory classes in science and technology teaching
• Laboratory equipment supporting real laboratory environments
• Software supporting real and virtual laboratory environments
The courses are divided into the three main groups all of which contain several subgroups:
• Introduction to computer based data acquisition and control
• Overview of computer based experiments and computer controlled models
• Computerised laboratory for various science and technology topics
Laboratory equipment:
• Data acquisition systems
• Sensors, actuators, kits
Software is an integral part of the courses and is used to support data acquisition and control, data analysis, simulations of natural phenomena and the operation of devices and systems.
• eProLab, a suite of software utilities supporting the data acquisition system
• eProSim, a set of simulations for science and technology education
• eProLib, programming libraries for data acquisition systems
More Information
I personally work as a lecturer in an agricultural university and I have a special interest in the industry of wine making. As such I am really interested to see which software could be used to train specialists in the field. The project has created various products which could be successfully be used in my field:
• Course material supporting laboratory classes in science and technology teaching
• Laboratory equipment supporting real laboratory environments
• Software supporting real and virtual laboratory environments
The Software created is an integral part of the courses and is used to support data acquisition and control, data analysis, simulations of natural phenomena and the operation of devices and systems.
Teachers’ Opinion
The two projects make up a series of activities directed to the processes that support the integration of different ICT tools in science and technology teaching. Two aspects were emphasized in the first project:
a) "Real laboratory" exercises and "Virtual laboratory" activities.
The first were based on computer data acquisition and control system but underlined the importance of practical lab work.
b) "Virtual laboratory" activities were based on computer simulations of various science phenomena and complicated, expensive and/or inaccessible devices.
The second project widens the first and it integrates "real" and "virtual" computerised laboratories in science and technology teaching. ComLab-2 focusses on the integration of physics, biology and chemistry to associated technology disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, agriculture, food industry, etc.
Students’ Opinion
This project is a dream for us, having access to these kind of projects and to these facilities the school results would be different. But unfortunately our school is not that equiped, we have only one laboratory, we are many students, there are not many instrumets in the lab, so tha is way the teachers prefers to teach the laboratories in classes. So there is not too much practical activities.
Comments on this Relevant initiatives
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Date: 2015.02.27
Posted by Jose Castillo (Spain)
Its a very big project with a lot of information, materials and tools. I'm impressed with the quality of the resources.
I'm sure that the materials will be useful for the teachers. In this web I have seen some projects with good aims, but poor results. Obviously, this is not the case.
Congratulations!
