Abstract
One pain point in online teaching lies in the difficulty for engineering and science students to attend experiment sessions as in face-to-face classes. According to a recent RTHK news, HK universities are forced to cancel experiment courses since the implementation of online teaching1 . As an attempt to resolve this problem, this project aims to develop an online experiment platform, with a particular focusing on IERG4100 Wireless Communications (a year-3/4 undergraduate course) and IEMS5701 Wireless Communication Systems (a MSc course). More specifically, we will design and implement a software kit that empowers the students to remotely access and program the radio experiment equipment in the laboratory. A real-time video stream will also be integrated into our platform such that students can see what is happening on the experiment equipment in the laboratory. A key benefit of such an online experiment platform is that the students can access the experiment equipment 7×24 a week if they want, which breaks the limitations of conventional experiment sessions where students need to physically come to the laboratory. The expected outcomes of this project will include an online experiment platform software kit, a user manual of the platform, and a module-based experiment curriculum for IERG4100 and IEMS5701 tuned for online conducting.
Note: 1https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1509295-20200218.htm
Brief write-up
Project objectives
This project aims to develop an online experiment platform, particularly focusing on IERG4100 “Wireless Communications” (a year-3/4 undergraduate course) and IEMS5701 “Wireless Communication Systems” (a MSc course). More specifically, we will design and implement a software kit that empowers the students to remotely access and program the radio experiment equipment in the laboratory. A real-time video stream will also be integrated into our platform such that students can see what is happening on the experiment equipment in the laboratory. A key benefit of such an online experiment platform is that the students can access the experiment equipment 7×24 a week if they want, which breaks the limitations of conventional experiment sessions where students need to physically come to the laboratory.
Activities, process and outcomes
This project implemented the Team Viewer software, which is a popular software application for remote computer control. As examples, here we summarizes three remote laboratory experiments: two remote experiments on conducting wireless experiments on the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) platform and one experiment on remote observations of biomedical samples (e.g., cells) through a wireless connected microscope.
Students’ feedback in the Course and Teaching Evaluation (CTE) was positive — They felt that the materials helped them understand the underlying knowledge.
Deliverables and evaluation
The project delivered the four planned deliverables. The performance of the project was evaluated by students’ feedback. Overall, the students found the materials developed in this project useful in helping them understand the taught concepts. The project followed the planned evaluation plan.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
The project team had a successful collaboration with researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering of CUHK to develop a portable and label-free microscope imaging system including image processing, wireless data transmission and remote control functionalities.
Impact on teaching and learning
The project deliverables was used in the teaching of IEMS5701 in Term 1, 2020-21. The students found the materials developed in this project useful in helping them understand the taught concepts.
