iLab Network

 

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Name:

iLab Network

 

Location: Evanston, Illinois

 

URL(s):

Primary URL:

http://ilabcentral.org/

Associated URLs

http://www.ilabcentral.org/radioactivity/

Video at: http://osep.northwestern.edu/projects/ilab

and: http://osep.northwestern.edu/projects/access

http://osep.northwestern.edu

 

Contacts: 

ilabnetwork@sesp.northwestern.edu

Kemi Jona:kjona@northwestern.edu

John Bohan: j-bohan@northwestern.edu

 

Participating institutions:

Northwestern University

Working with University of Queensland, Australia

 

Funding Source(s): NSF, HP

Kemi has started a spinoff to commercialize remote labs to K-12 and try to generate revenue streams back to lab owners to help them support their availability.

 

Purpose:

(Get this from the brochure that Kemi is sending) – primarily serve k- 12

 

Policies:

Labs are available for free for non-commercial purposes.  Teachers are asked to spread their students out so that Individual runs are limited to 10 min/run.

 

Procedures:

A teacher contacts the iLab Central website and registers an account.  Then his/her students have access to the iLab.  The iLab Network can also supply training sessions for interested teachers.

 

Hardware:

• Custom built Geiger counter analyzing strontium 90 radiation housed at Queensland University in Australia.

• There are 2 servers associated with each piece of lab equipment.  One is near the equipment in Queensland and the other is a ‘Windows box’ at Northwestern which runs the iLab Service Broker and takes care of accounts, data storage, and other access requirements.

 

Software:  

Students just need a browser to access the software interface iLab Network has created with Adobe Flex.  They do not use LabView.  The MIT ilabs Shared Architecture is used for the back end and takes care of data storage, policies/permissions, etc. 

 

Scheduling Solutions:

The Northwestern iLab Network is using the MIT iLab Shared Architecture.  Since these labs are asynchronous (batched) a queue method is used. 

 

 

Academic level and Audience:

Mostly grades 6 to 12.  Some community colleges have used iLab Central.

Most students are traditional classroom students so far, but iLab Network does serve some on-line students.

 

Academic area: Physics, Applied Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math

 

Lab names:

There are 5 labs at: www.iLabcentral.org/radioactivity/

Cell Phone Radiation: How Close is Too Close?

Advanced Research Methods Using Real Radioactivity Data

Radiation and Cancer: Cure or Cause?

Investigating the Safety of Nuclear Energy Using Real Radioactivity Data

Mathematical Modeling Using Real Radioactivity Data

 

iLab Network has some simulations that were funded by NSF.

 

Capacity:

There are two access modes that the architecture supports; Synchronous and Asynchronous (batch mode).  Since the iLab Network uses only the asynchronous mode its capacity is potentially very large and increased usage only increases delay times.  These have been kept to a few minutes maximum so far. 

 

They are working with Queensland to build a second device to accommodate more students.

  

Comments:

 

• Completed a study comparing how students learn via remote labs vs. simulations; what visualizations are most effective for students
•  (Dan) This system is very much the same type of model as the RWSL at NIC. Looking through their website, however, it is clear that most of the listed experiments are not accessible or are only in a conceptual phase of development. There are lots of "under construction" links when you click below the main level. I was not able to access any of the experiments.  
• The iLab Network’s catalog is comprehensive, but not everything is yet available or still available.
• The iLab Network has lots of interest from online schools.  For instance, the Florida Virtual School has integrated the iLab Central lab into their physics course.
• Kemi would be interested in a partnership discussion with NANSLO.
• Kemi will be presenting at AERA in Vancouver April 13, 2012.
• iLab Network has publications in:
• National Journal of Online Engineering article describing the significant differences in attitude they have found between simulated lab exercises and remote lab exercises.  Students very much preferred remote on-line labs over simulations. 
• Last year’s AERA 
• This year’s AERA 
• There will likely be a journal article coming out soon now that the dissertation is complete. 
• They have found that allowing students to access their labs outside of class time results in a 3-fold increase in the number of students who do their lab work with the iLab Network.
• Kemi offered to allow us to view their professional development webinar which could be helpful as a model for designing our training program.  Training is scheduled on-line once/month, but he could arrange an additional session for us if necessary.
• iLab Network is planning to submit an NSF proposal in January.
• Kemi notes that 99% of remote labs support traditional students; no one has really focused on accommodating remote students and he applauds us for doing so.

 

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