Collaborative Proposal: Energy Sustainability Remote Laboratory (ERSL)

使用尖端技术的能力和信心是培养高素质工程师和科学家的重要因素，而向各种院校的学生提供使用这些技术的途径则是一项重大挑战。这个由路易斯安那州立大学农业与机械学院、佛罗里达州立大学和内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校合作的项目，旨在通过开发远程、可上网的实验室，使所有工程专业的学生都能进入可持续能源实验室。世界范围内不断增加的能源需求加上有限的常规能源资源，要求有可持续的替代能源和新技术的组合。工科学生将从学习可持续能源系统中受益，但对所有工科学校来说，投资于这种系统所需的复杂设备是不切实际的。通过这个项目，路易斯安那州立大学、佛罗里达州立大学和内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校将在热电联产、生物燃料和太阳能光伏系统方面建立实验室。这些实验室，以及有关可再生能源和先进能源技术的教育产品，将以共同的方式制定，并通过双向门户网站提供实时数据。这些实验室将被设计用于高级三年级和四年级的化学和机械工程课程，如热力学、传热和过程控制。材料将侧重于学生对可持续能源实践和替代能源作为工程科学理论原理应用的理解。热电联产、生物燃料和太阳能光伏系统的远程实验室将提供来自工业和试点工厂规模设施的实时数据。该项目将包括实施一个互动式门户网站，以传播能源可持续性方面的数据和相关背景资料。参与机构的学生和教师有机会向网站开发者提供反馈。远程访问实验室的一个重要好处是有可能减少当传统实验室人满为患时发生的调度问题。评估将侧重于通过远程实验室形式实现适当的学生学习目标的程度。评估学习目标的方法包括收集每个实验活动的前后测试形式的数据，形成性评估，如测验、实验日志条目、解决问题的结果和其他说明学生学习的工件。

Competence and confidence in using cutting edge technology is an important element in preparing highly qualified engineers and scientists, while providing access to the technology for students at a range of institutions is a significant challenge. This collaborative project by Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College, Florida State University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas is seeking to make access to sustainable energy laboratories possible for all engineering students by developing remote, web-accessible laboratories. Increasing world-wide energy demand coupled with finite conventional energy resources calls for a portfolio of sustainable energy alternatives and new technologies. Engineering students would benefit from learning about sustainable energy systems but it is impractical for all engineering schools to invest in the complex equipment that such systems entail. Through this project Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas will create laboratories in: cogeneration, biofuels, and solar photovoltaic systems. These laboratories, and associated educational products in renewable and advanced energy technologies, will be formulated in a common fashion and provide real-time data through a two-way web-portal.The laboratories will be designed for use in advanced third and fourth year chemical and mechanical engineering courses such as thermodynamics, heat transfer, and process control. Materials will focus on student understanding of sustainable energy practices and alternative energy sources as applications of theoretical principles of engineering science. The remote laboratories in cogeneration, biofuels, and solar photovoltaic systems will provide real-time data from industrial and pilot-plant-sized facilities. The project will include the implementation of an interactive web portal to disseminate the data, and related background information in energy sustainability. Students and faculty at participating institutions with have the opportunity to provide feedback to the site developers. An important benefit of the remotely-accessible laboratories is the possibility of reducing scheduling problems that occur when conventional laboratories become oversubscribed. Evaluation will focus on the extent to which appropriate student learning objective are achieved through the remote laboratory format. The approach to assessing learning objectives involves collecting data in the form of pre- and post-tests for each laboratory activity, formative assessments such as quizzes, lab journal entries, problem-solving results, and other artifacts exemplifying student learning.