SimBAD: a Virtual Lab based on the Jini Framework

Abstract

E-Learning is offering new approaches and opportunities in the field of education above all in the sector of the virtual laboratories. The opportunity to interact with the real instruments that are in a lab represents an effective way for the implementation of a teaching approach oriented to a problem solving strategy. So, a great number of software tools and environments have been developed with the aim to reproduce the learning style of lessons based on laboratory experiences. In this paper we exploit Jini Technologies to design and implement a distributed architecture for a virtual lab oriented for supporting the activities of an Electronic Measurement Course. The aim of this environment is offering to the students the opportunity to experiment a real interaction with the laboratoryâ??s instruments everywhere and every time. The environment offers services that allow the remotely programming of the instruments and manages the multi-access to the various tools. A prototype of the architecture and its services will be discussed and an evaluation campaign will be showed.