Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
Description of International hybrid learning space
Nowadays education could not be imagined without modern computer
technologies development. High quality education of high level specialists
couldn't be excluding the impact of the computer technologies development.
International hybrid learning space (IHLS), created on the base of modern
computer technologies, and is the part of modern education. Hybrid learning
space allows combining knowledge, technologies and resources, which contain
single educational institutions in the different parts of the world, makes
educational resources available to all institutions-partners.
Development of International hybrid learning space is the part of the
project Tempus "Development of double degree Master's program in the field of
automation / mechatronics". The point of the project is training for specialists in
the field of automation and mechatronics on the base of combined resources.
Hybrid learning space can provide considerably more educational resources
than single educational institution can provide. Also Hybrid learning space can be
changed depending on necessaries of creation one or another educational course
for different groups of students.
International hybrid learning space includes:
 electronic educational courses (organized by system Claroline), includes
educational materials, tests, video/audio materials and etc.;
 electronic library, which contains tutorials for the educational courses;
 remote access laboratories (virtual and real) for the practical studies.
Actually it is possible to consider that the start of development of hybrid
learning space began long time ago. When the first distance control systems
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
started to use, it was the first step on the way of development of hybrid learning
space.
The base of conception of remote access laboratories as a main part of
hybrid learning space has been already used in human activity for a long time,
especially in engineering. For example, remote access is only decision for devices
for research objects, where it is impossible to use direct contact with the objects.
In these cases remote access had been used before computers and
microtechnology have been appeared. It was remote control of devices by
equipment, which can give necessary control orders by operators through the
wires or radio communication or something else available for that time.
Examples of the kind of connection could be:
•
•
•
•
control methods for remotely piloted vehicles from the Earth
control robots being in contact with dangerous matters
research other planets, where human existence is impossible
end etc.
For now, when it is so easy to connect computers from different places of
Earth, and Internet uses in everyday life, there is many possibilities for creation of
remote access laboratories.
For the first time there was only distance education among the same
university to make education easier for the students of correspondence course.
But in the next time development of remote access laboratories led to
employment of remote access laboratories between universities from different
countries, different locations.
Remote access laboratories have unanswerable pluses:
•
to make educational courses more effective for the students by using
remote access to the same expensive equipment for the group of students;
•
to work on the equipment being not available for direct connection;
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
•
to make remote access round-the-clock by using of automatic mode.
Now remote access laboratories mostly are used for the education than for
the research, but even for now there are internet resources with remote access
laboratories for the research of different equipment:
http://www.labshare.edu.au/
https://wikis.mit.edu/confluence/display/ILAB2/iLabs
https://ilabnet.essex.ac.uk/mod/data/view.php?id=48
http://chem.engr.utc.edu/
In 1997-2000 there were researches about possibility of use of remote
access laboratories in scientific and technical education. In the same time
following remote access laboratories were worked out and implemented:
•
The Virtual Lab of Carnegie Mellon University
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~stancil/virtuallab/virtual-lab.html;
•
Controls and Process Dynamics Lab, The University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga
http://chem.engr.utc.edu/;
•
Bugscope, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/;
•
I-Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://wikis.mit.edu/confluence/display/ILAB2/Home;
•
Microelectronics WebLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•
Measurement Request Broker (MaRBLe), University of Illinois at Chicago
•
ITL OnLine Lab, University of Colorado at Boulder
•
Automated Internet Measurement Laboratory, Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
In the same time when the first projects of remote access laboratories
began to appear in the West, the similar projects appeared in Russia. So in 19951998 was created the project World Wide Student Laboratory. The parts of the
project were remote access laboratories between Oregon State University and
Bauman Moscow State Technical University for research of space rays.
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
Remote access laboratories are profitable both students and teachers. The
students can save time, because it becomes possible to make a part of their
educational course distance and they can get it from home, they don’t need to go
somewhere. Also for the students there is possibility to get more various
educations, because they can use laboratories and equipment not only from the
single university, but from universities from different countries. The main benefit
is that the students got possibility to get two or even more certificates of degree,
because they can get educational courses in the same time in several universities
by virtual education.
For the teachers remote access laboratories enable to make their courses
more interesting and modern by using not only one university’s possibilities, but
possibilities from the different places in the world, may be, real equipment for the
different studies from the different research organizations. Also the teachers can
increase a number of students for their course, because much more number of
students can use in the same time the same laboratories by virtual using. Actually
the teachers also can save time by supervising the process of students’ work
distance.
On the picture below can be seen the parts of hybrid learning space:
Parts of hybrid learning space
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
Consider the parts of hybrid learning space a little more closely.
Electronic educational courses represent courses of disciplines, developed
by teachers, who teach the disciplines in real life. Representing of the courses
makes by system Claroline. By using the system Claroline teachers could add to
the course different types of educational materials, like tests, video and audio
materials and etc. It makes courses interesting and more useful for the students.
Claroline has two different admissions for a student and for a teacher. It allows to
the teacher to change educational course’s information, to the student it is
forbidden. Claroline actually is not only the place where educational materials are
kept, but it is the special space for the students and for the teachers, where they
can share information. The students can get knowledge and the teachers can
control this getting. There is below the list of Claroline services:

Course description – Description of the educational course

Agenda – Timetable (study activity by the dates)

Announcement – Declarations (for the students)

Document – Documents for the educational course

Exercises – Exercises like tests

Learning Path – Learning space (subject database program of the educational
course)

Assignments – Tests, educational projects, etc.

Forums – Possibility to share information

Groups – Groups for the users of the educational course

Users – Students, teachers, e-managers, tuters, etc.

Wiki – Connection between users and web-site

Chat – Possibility for communication

New items (to another date) – Possibility to change date of activities

Edit Tool list

Course settings
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru

Create a session course – Create a new session course

Statistics – Statistics of educational course
Remote access laboratories can be divided into several types:

Virtual laboratories. Laboratories, where the researching objects represent
virtual realization of real objects. Or laboratories, where research has only
theoretical part and doesn’t need any research object

Laboratories with real object. Laboratories, where the teacher researches
real object. In this case students can observe research, made by the teacher and
the results of it by remote connecting to the teacher’s computer, which is joined
to the real object of research. Communication between teacher and students
implements by using of video conference. Students don’t participate directly in
the experiment, just observe it.

Laboratories with real object. Laboratories, where research of real object
makes by the teacher, but students can directly take a part in some stages of the
experiment. The stages of the experiment, where students take a part, fixed by
the teacher. In this case communication between teacher and students
implements by video conference.

Laboratories with real object. Laboratories, where the students without
teacher, research real object. The students, which successfully passed tests of the
educational course, admit to the practical experiment. Teacher of the educational
course receive request from the student about permission to make an experiment
by using the laboratories. In the case the student passed tests of the educational
course successfully, the teacher gives him the permission (login and password) to
make an experiment.
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
It is possible to classify laboratories by clearance levels. The higher
responsibility of the student studies, the more complex testing must precede the
admission to the laboratory.
Electronic library represents educational resource, which contains learning
books for the educational courses of hybrid learning space. The students, who
study one of the courses of hybrid learning space, have access to the library.
Realization of remote connection between teacher and students is actually
simple. Nowadays there are many applications, which can be used for video and
audio connection between remote users. For now the most famous of it, perhaps,
is Skype. For using Skype it is enough just install software of the program to the
computers of users. Interface of the program is very easy to use too. Skype runs
on a number of platforms including Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8), OS X
(10.5.8 or newer), Linux (Ubuntu and others), Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS,
Symbian and Windows Phone. Skype also offers a Skype Wi-Fi Phone, which is a
wireless mobile phone that allows users to make Skype calls, using a wireless
Internet connection. The Skype Wi-Fi Phone has an on-screen menu that lets
Skype users see who is online and available to talk, similar to what is seen on a
PC. It can also be used to talk with non-Skype users. It is important, that Skype is
almost free application.
But Skype is not only the application, which can be used. The applications
like VZOchat (VZOchat - Video calls,video conferences and collaboration for
corporative uses. Video chat VZOchat contains no dangerous or malicious code,
no hidden adds, no modules for tracking users. You have total control over the
personal data that you share with other video chat users. Special technology
allows video chat VZOchat clients to work through any HTTPS/SOCKS proxy, and
does not require additional firewall settings for a stable and reliable connection.)
and Google Talk (Google Talk is an instant messaging service that provides both
text and voice communication. The connection between the Google Talk client
and the Google Talk server is encrypted, except when using Gmail's chat over
HTTP, a federated network that doesn't support encryption, or when using a
Saint-Petersburg State Electrotehnical University LETI
Prof. Popova str 5, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 197376
Tel: (812) 346-44-87 Fax: (812) 346-27-58.
Е-mail: eltech@eltech.ru http:// www.eltech.ru
proxy like IMLogic. End-to-end messages are unencrypted. Google plans to add
support for chat and call encryption in a future release. Some XMPP clients
natively support encryption with Google Talk's servers. It is possible to have endto-end encryption over the Google Talk network using OTR (off-the-record)
encryption using other chat clients like Adium (for Mac) or Pidgin (for Linux).) are
also suitable.
International hybrid learning space is the huge opportunity for the students
to use educational resources from different parts of the world to increase their
knowledge. And the projects like “Development of double degree Master's
program in the field of automation / mechatronics” are opportunity to have
education in two or more areas in the same time.
Development of International hybrid learning space enables to increase
number of the students, makes education more modern and increases quality of
it, makes possible to use expensive and rare devices and equipment for the
educational courses.