mit ilabs: towards a community of internet accessible laboratories phillip d. long, ph.d. mit mark...
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MIT iLabs:MIT iLabs:
Towards a Community of Towards a Community of Internet Accessible LaboratoriesInternet Accessible Laboratories
Phillip D. Long, Ph.D.MIT
Mark Schulz, Ph.D.University of Queensland
Open Educational Resources for Network-enabled educationAugust 18-19, 2006, Hotel Taj Ambassador, New DelhiSponsored by: National Knowledge Commission
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ContentsContents
iCampus - context iCampus - context MotivationMotivation iLabs at MITiLabs at MIT The iLab ArchitectureThe iLab Architecture Unique issues for iLabs in the developing worldUnique issues for iLabs in the developing world iLabs at UQiLabs at UQ Opportunities for partnershipOpportunities for partnership
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iCampus is an MIT research program to iCampus is an MIT research program to enhance university education through enhance university education through information technologyinformation technology Established in 1999 with funding from Microsoft Established in 1999 with funding from Microsoft
ResearchResearch 2000 – 2004: Focus on impact at MIT2000 – 2004: Focus on impact at MIT
Sponsored projects involving over 400 MIT faculty, Sponsored projects involving over 400 MIT faculty, staff, and researchersstaff, and researchers
Has affected nearly 100 subjects with a combined Has affected nearly 100 subjects with a combined enrollment of over 5,000 students per yearenrollment of over 5,000 students per year
2004-2006: Focus on global dissemination2004-2006: Focus on global dissemination
What is What is iCampus?iCampus?
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Remote access to laboratory equipment (iLabs)
On-line lectures and exercises in computer science (xTutor)
Technology enabled active learning (TEAL)
Web-administered writing examinations (iMOAT)
xMAS - Cross Media
Annotation SystemSketch for Understanding
Spoken Lecture
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Motivation to iLabsMotivation to iLabs There is enormous educational value in
hands-on laboratory experiences
But, conventional labs… … are expensive and have complex
logistics … can’t easily be shared
iLabs: real laboratories that are accessed through the Internet from anywhere at any time potentially by large numbers of students
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Goals of iLab project at Goals of iLab project at MITMIT
To leverage the pedagogical potential To leverage the pedagogical potential of iLabs in science & engineering of iLabs in science & engineering educationeducation
To develop a scalable framework to:To develop a scalable framework to: Ease the development of new iLabsEase the development of new iLabs Facilitate iLab managementFacilitate iLab management Enable worldwide sharing of iLabsEnable worldwide sharing of iLabs
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iLabs at MIT iLabs at MIT
Microelectronics device characterization (EECS, deployed 1998)
Shake table (Civil Eng., deployed 2004)
Dynamic signal analyzer (EECS, deployed 2004)
Polymer crystallization (Chem. E., deployed 2003)
Heat exchanger (Chem. E., deployed 2001)
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Microelectronics Device Characterization
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W2000 server (software donation of Microsoft)
Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer, Switching Matrix (donation of Agilent Technologies)
Device under test
Device test fixtures (donation of Agilent Technologies)
Microelectronics Device Characterization
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2PM: 6.012 exercise out
(75 students)
4PM: 6.720J/3.43J exercise out (25 students)
2PM: 6.012 exercise due
4PM: 6.720J/3.43J exercise due
• When do students carry out assignment?
• What is the lab system capacity?
[Oct. 13-20, 2000]
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2PM: 6.012 exercise out
(75 students)
4PM: 6.720J/3.43J exercise out (25 students)
2PM: 6.012 exercise due
4PM: 6.720J/3.43J exercise due
[Oct. 13-20, 2000]
System capacity: > 2,000 users/week, > 15,000 jobs/week
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Four step process:
Using iLab GUI: Measure DC I-V device characteristics Graph results
Download data to student’s computer
Using MATLAB or EXCEL: Extract device parameters Construct model based on theory presented in class Compare with measurements, discuss
Freely explore other modes of operation…
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Formal AssessmentFormal Assessment
Assessment performed in 6.012 in:Assessment performed in 6.012 in: Spring 2005 (90 students)Spring 2005 (90 students) Fall 2005 (65 students)Fall 2005 (65 students)
Assessment through:Assessment through: Individual student interviews (~20 Individual student interviews (~20
students)students) Quantitative surveys (~30-40 students)Quantitative surveys (~30-40 students)
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iLab experiences can significantly enhance iLab experiences can significantly enhance learninglearning
For iLab educational experiences to be For iLab educational experiences to be effective:effective: system has to work well, specially under peak system has to work well, specially under peak
load conditions!load conditions! system must allow free exploration and making system must allow free exploration and making
many mistakesmany mistakes clear documentation and tutorials are essentialclear documentation and tutorials are essential
Several small assignments more effective Several small assignments more effective than few large projectsthan few large projects
Students find difficulty in handling real-Students find difficulty in handling real-world dataworld data offline, post-measurement portion of offline, post-measurement portion of
assignment critical to learning experienceassignment critical to learning experience
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over 3600 student users over 3600 student users (for credit) since 1998(for credit) since 1998
Lab UseLab Use
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Lab Server
The MIT iLab Architecture
Service BrokerClient
Campus network Internet
University Databases
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Unique Issues for iLabs in Unique Issues for iLabs in developing countriesdeveloping countries Opportunities:Opportunities:
Paucity of labsPaucity of labs Lots of young enthusiastic peopleLots of young enthusiastic people Great need for engineersGreat need for engineers
Challenges:Challenges: Limited access to networked computersLimited access to networked computers Limited computer literacyLimited computer literacy Severe bandwidth limitationsSevere bandwidth limitations
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Bandwidth limitationsBandwidth limitations(example: Makerere University, Kampala)(example: Makerere University, Kampala)
satellite gateway to Internet (total bandwidth of Uganda=25 Mb/s)
campus wide single-mode optical fiber (2 Gb/s)
metropolitan network (total campus bandwidth=2.5 Mb/s)
academic buildings networked at 10/100 Mb/s
Figures for Spring 2004
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Consequences for iLabs Consequences for iLabs (and other rich educational resources)(and other rich educational resources)
• Need to deploy educational resources locally
• Solutions engineered in the developed world not necessarily effective in developing countries
• Pedagogy likely to be different in bandwidth starved situations
• Ultimate goal: “native” iLabs. How do we support this?
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An example: iLab-Africa An example: iLab-Africa project project
Obafemi Awolowo University
Goals:Goals: To deploy MIT's iLabs To deploy MIT's iLabs
throughout curriculum in throughout curriculum in AfricaAfrica
To support new iLab To support new iLab development in Africadevelopment in Africa
To create opportunities for To create opportunities for internships for MIT and internships for MIT and African students African students
To create a scalable iLab To create a scalable iLab research network in Africaresearch network in Africa
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Service Broker
Lab Server
Client
Campus network Internet
University Databases
• client GUI’s are “fat”• require complex plug-ins• demanding on local resources
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Data courtesy of K. Ayodele (OAU)
v. 6.1 graphical applet• 169 kbytes
• <download time> from OAU=79”
v. 6.1 classic applet)• 94 kbytes
• <download time> from OAU=63”
Partial Solution: “thin” clients
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Lab Server
iLabs in Africa: challenges
Service BrokerClient
Campus network Internet
University Databases
client served from half a world away at MIT
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Instead of here
Instead of here
<download time> at OAU: 22” (graphical), 17” (classic)<download time> at OAU: 22” (graphical), 17” (classic)
student data stored here
applet served from here
Installed SBs at OAU, MUK and UDSM
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Lab Server
iLabs in Africa: challenges
Service BrokerClient
Campus network Internet
University Databases
professional lab hardware prohibitively expensive
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Solution: inexpensive hardwareSolution: inexpensive hardware
Agilent 4155 ~$50K
NI Elvis ~$2K
iLab Mini ~$40
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iLabsiLabs in Australia in Australia
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Consequences for iLabs Consequences for iLabs (and other rich educational resources)(and other rich educational resources)
• Need to deploy educational resources locally
• Solutions engineered in the developed world not necessarily effective in developing countries
• Pedagogy likely to be different in bandwidth starved situations
• Ultimate goal: “native” iLabs. How do we support this?
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iLab: the OpportunitiesiLab: the Opportunities Order of magnitude more laboratories Order of magnitude more laboratories
available to our studentsavailable to our students Unique labs: Unique labs:
Unusual locations, expensive equipment, Unusual locations, expensive equipment, rare materialsrare materials
Rich pedagogical experiences:Rich pedagogical experiences: More lab time to studentsMore lab time to students GUI to lab integrating graphing, GUI to lab integrating graphing,
simulation, collaboration, tutoringsimulation, collaboration, tutoring
Worldwide communities of scholars Worldwide communities of scholars created around labs sharing contentcreated around labs sharing content
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iLab: the ChallengesiLab: the Challenges
Developing an iLab from scratch is a Developing an iLab from scratch is a lot of work!lot of work! Great attention needed to user scalabilityGreat attention needed to user scalability Needs to be done by domain specialistNeeds to be done by domain specialist
Managing a broadly shared iLab is also Managing a broadly shared iLab is also a lot of work!a lot of work! Disincentive for owner to share labDisincentive for owner to share lab
Key challenge: Key challenge: iLab ScalabilityiLab Scalability
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ConclusionsConclusions
iLabs can enhance science and engineering education in India as well as the rest of the world
iLabs and their educational content can be broadly shared within India and around the world
iLabs provide a path for the developed world to support education in the developing world
iLabs Architecture is a scalable framework to support iLab dissemination around the world
““If You Can’t Come to the Lab… the Lab Will If You Can’t Come to the Lab… the Lab Will Come to You!”Come to You!”
(Earth at 89 GHz; courtesy of J. Grahn, Chalmers U.)