Technology-enhanced science learning through remote laboratory: System design and pilot implementation in tertiary education

This paper reports the research on the successful development of a new remote laboratory (RL) system through some innovative ideas and methods for practising technology-enhanced learning of science education. The Internet-based RL system enables learners to control and observe the server-side laboratory equipment as well as perform real-time scientific investigation activities at distant places. As a pilot implementation study, a set of newly developed remote experiments were first tried out by a total of 64 undergraduate students in a tertiary institution mainly for teacher education. The evaluation used a mixed research method which included a questionnaire survey, open-ended questions and interviews as specifically developed by us to collect data on students’ perceptions, views and implementation issues related to the use of the RL system. The survey findings show that the participants agreed with the appropriateness of various educational merits of the RL system and the ways of conducting those innovative experiments. Furthermore, negative comments and suggestions for improvement were identified. Based upon these, we have refined our RL system and the RL design principles through an iteration of design-based research.