Integrating Cyber Infrastructure with Physical Laboratories

Laboratories are indispensible components for engineering and technology curricula. Through systematically designed experiments, students can gain hands-on experience, enhance classroom learning, and cultivate career interests. However, traditional laboratories are often restricted by space, scheduling, staffing, etc. Thus, how to effectively organize laboratories and maximize the utilization of limited resources has gained many researchers’ attention. In recent years, integrating cyberspace with educational technology has achieved significant progress. To facilitate the needs of research and education, lots of laboratory equipment has been equipped with interfaces and software add-ons to enable users to operate the devices online. This paper presents the achievements of some funded projects at Prairie View A&M University. Using an in-house developed online laboratory management system, the investigators redesigned a series of LabVIEW based engineering laboratories in which remote students can rotate to control the equipment, observe the lab results, record data, and submit reports. These setups greatly reduce the cost of experimental facilities, enhance the accessibility of equipment and courseware, and support instructors’ instructional needs. The paper introduces the architecture of the online laboratory management system, and several examples to integrate traditional labs with cyber infrastructure are given. Finally, the project implementation strategies and results are also discussed.