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- A sustainable approach to let students do more real experiments with electrical and electronic circuitsPublication . Alves, Gustavo R.; Pester, Andreas; Kulesza, Wlodek; Silva, Juarez Bento; Pavani, Ana; Pozzo, María Isabel; Marchisio, Susana; Fernandez, Ruben; Oliveira, Vanderli; Schlichting, Luis C. M.; Felgueiras, Carlos; Viegas, Clara; Fidalgo, André; Marques, Maria Arcelina; Costa, Ricardo; Lima, Natércia; Castro, Manuel; García-Zubía, JavierThe present paper focus on the use of remote laboratories in higher education from a sustainability viewpoint. The particular case of engineering education, and, within it, the more specific subject of experiments with electrical and electronic circuits is presented first, to then discuss the benefits of using remote labs, while considering the three dimensions of sustainable development, i.e.: economic practice, environmental protection, and social integration. The paper debates how remote labs address each dimension.
- Using Remote Lab for Enhancing E-Learning on FPAAsPublication . Felgueiras, Carlos; Areias, Dinis; Fidalgo, André Vaz; Petry, Clovis; Alves, Gustavo R.Analog and digital electronic subjects are part of the electronic engineer degree but its taught is not easy because they are founded in opposite methodologies. The electronic design in the digital field is centered in the use of microprocessor and FPGA based circuits using high level programing/configuring languages. The counterpart analog design is traditionally based in the use of elementary com- ponents associated with macroblocks such operational am- plifiers in order to built-up the wanted mission circuit. Some few components, as the FPAA, are analogically configurable in a similar manner already used with the FPGA. However the use of this kind of components is not straightforward once is necessary acquire some concepts not taught in the traditionally analog electronic classes. The current work present an innovative remote lab to sup- port teaching of the FPAAs.
- How to Use Remote Labs for Enhancing E-Learning on PSoCsPublication . Felgueiras, Carlos; Macedo, Jose; Fidalgo, André; Petry, C.; Alves, Gustavo R.Electronic teaching is a task that intents to also prepare the student to understand and design analog and digital circuits. However the design flow in those two arenas are quite opposite as result of very different development state and also are the design methodologies, being challeng- ing for both teachers and students. In fact, the electronic design in the digital field is centered in the use of compo- nents based in two kind of circuits (microprocessor and FPGA) using a relatively high level programing/configuring languages. In an opposite way, the analog design is tradi- tionally founded in the use of elementary components (e.g. resistors and capacitors) associated with macroblocks (e.g. operational amplifiers) in order to built-up the wanted mis- sion circuit. However they have just a few analog program- mable components, as the PSoC that is analogically configu- rable in a similar manner that the one already used in the digital domain. The use of this kind of components, howev- er, is not straightforward being necessary to get some con- cepts traditionally not taught in the analog electronic clas- ses. The training using PSoC are then indispensable to veri- fy if the programed analog circuit corresponds to the in- tended one. The current work present an innovative remote lab to sup- port teaching of the PSoC.
- International Cooperation for Remote Laboratory UsePublication . Alves, Gustavo R.; Fidalgo, André; Marques, Maria Arcelina; Viegas, Clara; Felgueiras, Carlos; Costa, Ricardo J.; Lima, Natércia; Castro, Manuel; Díaz-Orueta, Gabriel; SanCristóbal-Ruiz, Elio; García-Loro, Felix; García-Zubía, Javier; Hernández-Jayo, Unai; Kulesza, Wlodek J.; Gustavsson, Ingvar; Nilsson, Kristian; Zackrisson, Johan; Pester, Andreas; Zutin, Danilo G.; Schlichting, Luis C.; Ferreira, Golberi; de Bona, Daniel D.; Pacheco, Fernando S.; da Silva, Juarez B.; Alves, João B.; Biléssimo, Simone; Pavani, Ana M.; Lima, Delberis A.; Temporão, Guilherme; Marchisio, Susana; Concari, Sonia B.; Lerro, Federico; de Arregui, Gaston S.; Merendino, Claudio; Plano, Miguel; Fernández, Rubén A.; Paz, Héctor R.; Soria, Mario F.; Gómez, Mario J.; de Almeida, Nival N.; de Oliveira, Vanderli F.; Pozzo, María I.; Dobboletta, Elsa; Bertramo, BrendaExperimenting is fundamental to the training process of all scientists and engineers. While experiments have been traditionally done inside laboratories, the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies added two alter-natives accessible anytime, anywhere. These two alternatives are known as virtual and remote labs, and are sometimes indistinguishably referred as online labs. Sim-ilarly to other instructional technologies, virtual and remote labs require some ef-fort from teachers in integrating them into curricula, taking into consideration sev-eral factors that affect their adoption (i.e. cost) and their educational effectiveness (i.e. benefit). This chapter analyses these two dimensions and sustains the case where only through international cooperation it is possible to serve the large num-ber of teachers and students involved in engineering education. It presents an ex-ample in the area of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, based on a remote lab named Virtual Instruments System in Reality, and it then describes how a number of European and Latin-American institutions have been cooperating under the scope of an Erasmus+ project2, for spreading its use in Brazil and Argentina.
- High order experimental skills’ gap identification – the need to reshape electronics teachingPublication . Felgueiras, Carlos; Fidalgo, André; Viegas, Clara; Alves, Gustavo R.; Petry, Clovis AntonioEach knowledge area has its own evolutionary way, splitting in new knowledge areas, or simply abandoning some subjects to make room for new ones. As a result we can perceive the tendency for a given subject being treated differently, according to the course where it is taught. Thus, teaching electronics is different in an Electronics Course than in an Electric Power Systems Course. In the first this subject assumes some deepness while in the second it is, at best, only superficially presented. This strategy presents some advantages for the student, like cost and time requirements, and mainly the ability to move quickly into the labor market. Nevertheless we can identify some crucial drawbacks in this approach, mainly the very weak skill level attained in some crucial subjects, usually in the boundary between established knowledge areas. So, instead of getting solid skills about crucial electric and electronic components, students are often presented with simpler interface models, i.e. electronic "black boxes". Later on, when faced with a specific type of problems, graduated student are hardly able to identify solutions, due to their inherent lack of interdisciplinary skills. This work presents some perceptions related with the lack of some electronic concepts in engineering students, necessary to understand the implications on the electric power grid resulting from the use of non-linear loads. A methodology to characterize this situation and alternatives to overcome it are also presented.
- Spreading remote lab usage: A system — A community — A FederationPublication . Alves, Gustavo R.; Fidalgo, André Vaz; Marques, Arcelina; Viegas, Clara; Felgueiras, Carlos; Costa, Ricardo; Lima, Natercia; Castro, Manuel; Diaz-Orueta, Gabriel; Ruiz, Elio San Cristobal; Garcia-Loro, Felix; Garcia-Zubia, Javier; Hernandez-Jayo, Unai; Kulesza, Wlodek; Gustavsson, Ingvar; Pester, Andreas; Zutin, Danilo; Schlichting, Luis; Ferreira, Golberi; Bona, Daniel Dezan de; Silva, Juarez B. da; Alves, Joao B.; Bilessimo, Simone; Pavani, Ana; Lima, Delberis; Temporao, Guilherme; Marchisio, Susana; Concari, Sonia; Lerro, Federico; Fernandez, Ruben; Paz, Hector; Soria, Fernando; Almeida, Nival; Oliveira, Vanderli de; Pozzo, Maria I.; Dobboletta, ElsaExperiments have been at the heart of scientific development and education for centuries. From the outburst of Information and Communication Technologies, virtual and remote labs have added to hands-on labs a new conception of practical experience, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education. This paper aims at describing the features of a remote lab named Virtual Instruments System in Reality, embedded in a community of practice and forming the spearhead of a federation of remote labs. More particularly, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of remote labs over virtual labs as regards to scalability constraints and development and maintenance costs. Finally, it describes an actual implementation in an international community of practice of engineering schools forming the embryo of a first world wide federation of Virtual Instruments System in Reality nodes, under the framework of a project funded by the Erasmus+ Program.
- Libro de atas del XIV Congreso de Tecnologías Aplicadas a la Enseñanza de la Electrónica (TAEE2020)Publication . Alves, Gustavo R.; Fidalgo, André; Felgueiras, Carlos; Costa, RicardoA conferencia TAEE conhecerá na sua 14ª edição um momento histórico. Não só é a primeira vez que a será organizada fora do território Espanhol, como terá lugar a verdadeiramente pioneira experiência de realizar esta conferência num formato puramente virtual no Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto. Esta opção representa a solução possível para um evidente problema mundial, que surgiu de forma repentina durante a preparação desta edição. Optamos por aplicar a típica abordagem de engenharia, instintivamente encarando este novo problema como uma verdadeira oportunidade, e aproveitando as limitações impostas para experimentar novas soluções para novas questões. Tentamos criar uma TAEE diferente, não melhor nem pior, mas indo buscar proveitos às tecnologias de comunicação emergentes de forma a criar e dinamizar um evento onde não estaremos fisicamente juntos, mas poderemos comunicar e conviver de forma virtual. A grande motivação da TAEE será sempre os visíveis entrosamentos, dedicação e motivação da comunidade e serão estes fatores que permitirão o sucesso nesta nova forma de estarmos e trabalharmos juntos, mas à distância.
- An educational remote laboratory for controlling a signal conditioning circuit with an LDR sensorPublication . Costa, Ricardo; Bastos, Paulo; Alves, Gustavo R.; Felgueiras, Carlos; Fidalgo, AndréIn the past few years, the technologic evolution of communication and information systems had a major impact in our lives. In education, this evolution broke some geographical barriers, facilitating students’ access to real laboratories using a simple device connected to the Internet, contributing therefore to improve teaching and learning methods. To support this evolution, this paper describes a remote laboratory that provides students’ access to a typical electronic instrumentation system. Through a set of webpages, users can remotely control a light intensity sensed through a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor connected in an arm of a configurable Wheatstone Bridge (WB), whose output differential voltage are amplified / attenuated by an Instrumentation Amplifier (IA) circuit. Through this laboratory, users are able to control several components of a typical instrumentation system, visualize changes and analyze some measurements, in the same way as they would do in a traditional hands-on laboratory. An overview of the developed remote laboratory and a contextualization within other available solutions are presented in this paper. At the end, some considerations for its adoption in education are described.
- Reverse problem-based learning - a case study with a Braille machinePublication . Felgueiras, Carlos; Fidalgo, André Vaz; Alves, Gustavo R.Engineering Education includes not only teaching theoretical fundamental concepts but also its verification during practical lessons in laboratories. The usual strategies to carry out this action are frequently based on Problem Based Learning, starting from a given state and proceeding forward to a target state. The possibility or the effectiveness of this procedure depends on previous states and if the present state was caused or resulted from earlier ones. This often happens in engineering education when the achieved results do not match the desired ones, e.g. when programming code is being developed or when the cause of the wrong behavior of an electronic circuit is being identified. It is thus important to also prepare students to proceed in the reverse way, i.e. given a start state generate the explanation or even the principles that underlie it. Later on, this sort of skills will be important. For instance, to a doctor making a patient?s story or to an engineer discovering the source of a malfunction. This learning methodology presents pedagogical advantages besides the enhanced preparation of students to their future work. The work presented on his document describes an automation project developed by a group of students in an engineering polytechnic school laboratory. The main objective was to improve the performance of a Braille machine. However, in a scenario of Reverse Problem-Based learning, students had first to discover and characterize the entire machine's function before being allowed (and being able) to propose a solution for the existing problem.
- A demo platform to teach and learn the behaviour of a PI controllerPublication . Felgueiras, Carlos; Serradeiro, Kevin; Fidalgo, André; Costa, RicardoNowadays new demands are posed to engineering education. Students are becoming more autonomous and curious, which requires the use of new educational platforms to complement theory with practice. A well-designed engineering course should include ways to demonstrate evidence of specific theories, in order to involve students and to dissipate any mistrust that they may have when specific theories are presented. On the other hand, it is important to create sustainable solutions, i.e., low cost solutions that do not produce much waste to the environment. While traditional and/or remote labs can be considered for many situations, there are others where a simple demonstrative platform is enough. It was precisely based on this condition, that a simple PI controller platform was idealized and implemented. This allows a teacher to show the behaviour of a PI controller according to the definition of a set of parameters that will enable the displacement of a pointer with accurate and responsive corrections.