Conducting Experiments With Real-Time Cloud Computing Models: A Virtual Laboratory for Massive Open Online Courses on Computer Control Systems [Focus on Education

Abstract

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become a recent hotspot in educational research because of their large-scale accessibility, openness, flexibility, and convenience (see “Summary”). They are an effective way to meet the growing demand for education. MOOC platforms have been created around the world, such as Coursera, founded by Stanford University; edX, cofounded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University; and XUETANG, developed by Tsinghua University <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref> – <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[3]</xref> . MOOC platforms provide students with more systematic learning opportunities than traditional teaching and possess obvious advantages in cost-effectiveness and time flexibility <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[4]</xref> . The Computer Control System (CCS) course at Northeastern University (NEU) in China is a MOOC launched on the iCourse website <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[5]</xref> , and it is offered twice a year, with nearly 7000 participants in each session. The class format currently includes videos, online discussions, homework, and examinations; experiments matching the theory lectures are absent. This is a common problem in MOOCs: experimentation is neglected because of the lack of effective methods or tools using this new platform. The drawbacks of offline experiments, such as the lack of interaction among teacher and students and insufficient supervision <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[6]</xref> , <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref7" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[7]</xref> , also prevent their wide employment in MOOCs. As a result, the lack of experimental teaching in MOOCs causes great trouble to both teachers and students, weakens the effectiveness of courses, and prohibits teaching some experimental courses via MOOCs. Fortunately, with the rapid development of science and technology, the rise of cloud technology provides a new choice for laboratory construction. Virtualization technology based on cloud computing can radically solve existing problems, such as an excessive number of students or lack of experimental resources. In addition, the large-scale data-processing ability in the cloud computing environment also makes it possible for teachers and students to interact on the MOOC platform.