The Role of Internet-Accessible Laboratory Plants in the Teaching of Automatic Control

Abstract

This chapter presents a sequential approach to the introduction of e-learning in the field of automatic control as realized at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. However, the proposed methodology can easily be extended to other scientific fields. First, the organization of the lectures and the main activities are described. Then the motivational aspects for the reorganization are presented, where the design projects introduced during the exercises play an important role. As a result of the positive response to this approach, one of the projects was further extended and realized as a combination of exercises and exams, incorporating parts of a computer game and competition using virtual and remote experiments with a chosen multivariable pilot plant. The students’ responses and staff experiences are evaluated and analyzed, from which the potential advantages of the proposed approach become clear.