Implementing a Remote-Triggered Light Microscope

Abstract

Biotechnology and biology education has been known to show declining student interest due to classroom environments and instructor teaching styles, hence we introduced virtual labs as an interactive self-learning material in a blended environment. With ICT-based education becoming ubiquitous, virtual and remote triggered labs have become a novel platform that helps users to engage in a proactive learning process. A promisingly new trend in virtual labs-based education is the development of remote laboratories that are available over the internet and can be accessed by students and teachers. We implemented and deployed a low-cost light microscope using a simple front-end to enable users to have anytime-anywhere access. This paper reports the implementation, deployment and user-case studies on the learning and usage based on the remote-triggered virtual lab. This study also focuses on the analysis of using remote-triggered experiments as supplementary laboratory resources for overcoming the problems faced in a traditional lab environment. The study used online feedback surveys for evaluating the learning outcome and the flexibility of user-interactions with the remote labs and reports the status of usage of remote triggered techniques in biology courses. The statistical analysis suggests that remote labs are an easy learning and interactive platform for users from different places.