Uttaranchal University has set up a Virtual Lab centre at the University under the mentorship of IIT, Delhi which is an Initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Under the National Mission on Education through ICT.
Physical distance and the lack of resources make it difficult for us to perform experiments, especially when they involve sophisticated instruments. With the present day internet and computer technologies the above limitations can no longer hamper students and researchers in enhancing their skills and knowledge. Web enabled experiments can be designed for remote operation and viewing so as to stimulate the curiosity and innovation in students. This would help in learning basic and advanced concepts through remote experimentation. Internet-based experimentation further permits use of resources – knowledge, software, and data available on the web, in addition to encouraging skillful experiments being simultaneously performed at points separated in space (and possibly, time).
Objectives of the Virtual Labs:
- It provides remote-access to Labs in various disciplines of Science and Engineering. These Virtual Labs would cater to the needs of students at the undergraduate level, post graduate level as well as to research scholars.
- Students are motivated to conduct experiments by arousing their curiosity. This would help them in learning basic and advanced concepts through remote experimentation.
- Complete Learning Management System is available around the Virtual Labs where the students can get the various tools for learning, including additional web-resources, video-lectures, animated demonstrations and self evaluation.
- Students can enjoy the costly equipment and resources, which are otherwise available to limited number of users due to constraints of time and geographical distance.
Salient Features of the Virtual Labs.
- Remotely triggering an experiment in an actual lab and providing the student the result of the experiment through the computer interface. This would entail carrying out the actual lab experiment remotely.
- Virtual Labs will be made more effective and realistic by providing additional inputs to the students, like, accompanying audio and video streaming of an actual lab experiment and equipment.
- For the ‘touch and feel’ part, the students can possibly visit an actual laboratory for a short duration of time.
