Mobile Virtual Laboratory: Learning Digital Design

Abstract

An important part of learning digital design is the acquisition of knowledge through working experience in a laboratory environment, what will corroborate theoretical knowledge exposed elsewhere (e.g. in lectures, through written exercise solving etc.). This paper describes the foundation of a virtual laboratory available to every student at any moment and regardless of her/his whereabouts, following the concepts of universal access. We discuss the main issues in running a digital design lab, the essentials of contemporary mobile technology and the possible solutions to merge the two with the final objective being the development of a multiplatform system able to run both on (desktop) PCs and on mobile devices (terminals). We also discuss issues in the supporting HCI, especially in making the interaction as simple as possible.