Widget-Based Approach for Remote Control Labs

The paper presents a novel approach to conduct laboratory experiments in relation with the Control class taught at EPFL. The existing laboratory interface built as a Java applet, which allows students to access experimentation devices locally or remotely, is split into a set of light-weight Web applications or widgets. While achieving the same basic functionalities, these widgets provide user customization and extension. They are more flexible and add off-the-shelf interaction with other widgets and with the surrounding Web environment. The paper shows how remote experimentation devices are integrated within the Graasp platform, which provides knowledge management and enables collaboration among students. The educational scenario illustrates the technical challenges, and the solutions to tackle them are proposed and explained.