University of North DakotaSchool of Engineering and Mines

On-line Laboratories for a Distance Engineering Program

John Watson, SEM, UND George Bibel, ME, UND Kenneth Ebeling, IME, NDSU John Erjavec, ChE, UND

Hossein Salehfar, EE, UND Marcellin Zahui, ME, UND

IECC 2005 A FIPSE Project

Distance EngineeringDegree Program

Distance Engineering Degree Program (DEDP)

1989 Initiated as 3M ProgramVideotaped classes, mailed to studentsAssignments by e-mail and FAXAdvising by phone and e-mailExams proctored at student siteEnrollment - 8

1993 Corporate Engineering Degree Program2001 Distance Engineering Degree Program2002 FIPSE On-line Laboratory Project2003 Electronic Delivery of Classes2004 Enrollment - 108, 25 graduates to date

To meet the laboratory requirements of the programs, students must:

spend 5-10 days each summer on campusbear the expense of travel and accommodation, and use vacation time

DEDP DETAIL

ABET accredited programs in ChE, CE, EE and MEPrograms are equivalent to on-campus programsStudents are required to take labs on campus in summer1 CH semester lab is equivalent to 5 days of condensed labs

On-Line Laboratory Project 2002-05

FIPSE project initiated to design and implement 3 lab courses

Each with 50% on-line content to reduce time required at UND.

On-line content to be mix of virtual and real-time assignments

Three Laboratory Courses Selected:

ChE 431 – Chemical Engineering Laboratory IV

EE 306 – Circuits Laboratory I

ME 486 – Mechanical Engineering Practice

Each lab course has 50% on-line content consisting of :

50% virtual assignments – Packaged or Custom

50% real-time assignments – Lab Equipment + LabView and Remote Panels

VIRTUAL ASSIGNMENTS

• Packaged Software or Custom Built Programs for each Laboratory Course

Packaged – ChemCAD for ChE process design

Custom Built – LabView for EE circuits

using wiring diagrams and

front panels

Virtual Inverting Op-Amp EE Assignment

Laboratory Real-Time Assignment Equipment Schematic

Real – Time Laboratory Assignments

Lab equipment operating through LabViewFront Panel

Internet publishing through Remote Panels

Incorporating real-time video image

One user in control with unlimited observers

Video Image of Process Control Equipment

Front Panel and Video Image for First Order Response

Oil Bath

Pump

HeaterLift

StainlessAlumnium

Copper

Computer

Monitor

Unsteady State Thermal Conductivity Lab

Security and Access

All laboratory instructions are on UND Blackboard

All required downloads are available from Blackboardsite or on CD

All laboratory computers are on a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

User computer must link to VPN, and supply authentication data

Access to the virtual and real-time assignments is from Blackboard

ASSESSMENT

Several of the labs were used remotely byon-campus groups in spring semester, 2005.

DEDP students will use some of the labs in the summer, and in the fall

HB Associates are assisting with the assessment processwhich involves survey and focus groups.

Acknowledgements

This project is sponsored in part by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. The authors would also like to acknowledge the technical associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students who contributed to the project.

Thanks for listening

Questions ?