Iterative Design and Evaluation of a Web-Based Experimentation Environment

Abstract

Nowadays, Web-based experimentation environments provide an excellent instrument to add flexibility in traditional engineering curricula. This paper presents a model for the evaluation of such environments. The proposed model relies on an iterative evaluation paradigm. It allows the integration of different analysis methods including quantitative, qualitative and social network analysis. The paper also describes the iterative user-centered design and development of the eMersion environment developed at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), as well as the results and analyses of the evaluation process carried out in the automatic control laboratory courses using the eMersion environment from the 2002 winter to the 2005 summer semesters at the EPFL. The evaluation has been performed to study different aspects relevant for an online learning community in engineering education, such as participation, flexibility, learning performance, collaboration, and community social structure.