Remote electronics lab within a MOOC: Design and preliminary results

Abstract

This paper describes the design and development of a novel Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on industrial electronics circuits. It is the first MOOC that, besides the usual features of these courses, includes the extensive use of a real remote laboratory dedicated to practices in electronic circuits. Although the nature of a MOOC is completely open, this course targets especially people with at least basic circuits knowledge, related with the demand on industrial sector of labour markets. As said, the core objective of the course is to learn practical competences in basic electronic circuits. This is possible by implementing the remote laboratory for electronic circuits' practices VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality) within the MOOC to allow online, real time, delivery of such practices-which makes this MOOC a first of its kind. The paper presents the design and development of the MOOC. We show also some preliminary results in the middle of the course that is running, with more than 2200 students enrolled, during 5 months since May.