4.1 Real Laboratories ReLOADed

Martin Levesley, Justin Gallagher, Peter Culmer and Adam Metcalf

University of Leeds

In 2000 ReLOAD, a system of remote internet access to real laboratory equipment was developed. It has since been enhanced, extended and used at educational institutions across the world delivering hundreds of thousands of experiments. Recently it has been used to assess student taking the same module at two different locations (UK & China) under carefully controlled “identical” conditions. During the epidemic it has been used more widely to replace pre-existing “face-to-face” laboratories where the alternatives would be simulation or videoed demonstrations with pre-acquired data.

It has been used to enable;

• Access to equipment unavailable within the participating establishment.

• Access to equipment temporarily unavailable (Pandemic)

• Team-working of non-collocated students

• Formative/summative assessment of “pre-face-to-face”/“post-face-to-face” lab work

• Participation in large group experiments where hundreds of experiments are needed to produce the experimental data required.

• Integration of remote lab access within a standard VLE

In virtually all cases, student’s (or groups’) experiments are uniquely configured to ensure collected data is different from others, preventing plagiarism.

4.2 Remote Laboratory Access for Engineering Students via Robotics

Guodong Zhao and Kelum A.A. Gamage

University of Glasgow

Laboratory practices are an essential component in engineering higher education. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many students are unable to access the lab physically and miss the most important aspects of their education. In this study, we have developed the proof-of-concept remote lab at the University of Glasgow, which allow students to remotely control a robotic arm at University Laboratory to finish their lab experiments. Through this, we have successfully demonstrated the delivery of hands-on laboratory experience to our students. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first implementations of this idea in the higher education sector – especially in the transnational education sector.

4.3 Chemical Engineering Hybrid Labs Delivery for Experiential Learning

Vijesh J. Bhute, Umang V. Shah, James Campbell, Sampad Sengupta, Andrew Macey and Clemens Brechtelsbauer

Imperial College London

A hybrid laboratory, CREATE Labs, was delivered using state-of-the-art technologies to provide an immersive experience to >400 undergraduate students in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. 26 projects were delivered for the three year groups (Year 1, 2, and 3) and the objective was to deliver practical labs keeping the key learning objectives in mind. The CREATE Labs provided real-time views of the equipment using high-definition pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras as well as Microsoft (MS) HoloLens 2 technology. Most of the experiments had equipment which were operable remotely. MS Teams was used for communication, storing files, and for remote access of control software. Further simulations of equipment were included to augment the understanding of concepts. To adhere to social distancing restrictions, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who traditionally acted as advisors, also conducted few steps of the experiments based on instructions provided by the students via MS Teams. GTAs also wore the MS HoloLens 2 to provide a point-of-view (POV) live stream of equipment (especially for those parts which were difficult to access via PTZ camera view). Feedback from students and GTAs was gathered to assess the effectiveness of this approach. In this presentation, we will further highlight our learnings based on surveys from students and GTAs and discuss strategies to enhance student experience in the future.

4.4 Student centred blended learning in chemical engineering undergraduate laboratories: Developments and lessons learnt through the pandemic

Christof M Jäger, John J. Turner Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

University of Nottingham

The introduction of blended learning and teaching into laboratory practicals has been a priority in laboratory based educational developments since before the Covid pandemic, which caused a rethink and rebuild of laboratory teaching faster than previously anticipated. Our departmental response in Chemical Engineering to these challenges has been to reinforce and move towards more blended and flexible laboratory provision. Focused on providing a maximum of Covid safe ‘in-person’ classes (over 300 sessions in autumn 2020), together with developing a clearly structured online workflow including guided video introductions and quizzes, online digital laboratory video copies and data collection, real-time remote online simulator classes, and a fully remote-control pilot scale batch reactor unit operation. This new breadth of our laboratory teaching is now more accessible for different types of learners and particularly better for supporting students with (learning) disabilities or with prolonged periods of laboratory absences. Our provision is also more integrated with the curricula with our digitalisation strategy and remote control of laboratories making it possible to include practicals even within the lecture environment to create a more positive learning experience.

4.6 Sponsor Presentation

Anders Hill

TecQuipment

TecQuipment is the leading provider of high quality educational equipment for engineering disciplines. The products allow students and educators to perform practical experiments to illustrate engineering principles relating to aerodynamics, control engineering, process control, hydraulics and fluid mechanics, material testing and properties, structures, renewable energies, mechanics and dynamics, thermodynamics and heat transfer, along with electrical power systems. The company was founded 60 years ago. Over this period, TecQuipment has grown in recognition of its reliable and robust products that are all designed and manufactured to the ISO9001 standard in Nottinghamshire, UK, and delivered with a 5-year warranty. The products are used by students and educators across the world, in over 1500 establishments in more than 100 countries. For more details about TecQuipment, please see www.tecquipment.com.

4.7 Student laboratories: Remote operation of a Pilot Scale Batch Reactor using multiple mobile devices.

John James Turner and Christof Jaeger

University of Nottingham

The day-to-day operation of chemical process plants is increasingly automated and with the evolution of sophisticated mobile devices their maintenance is equally becoming remote. No longer constraint to be ‘on-site’, process engineers are now developing skills in project management that effectively allow multiple operations to be conducted simultaneously due to the freedom remote devices grant. Therefore, students should understand how to operate process plants remotely, work in global teams with different skill sets, and be expected to complete tasks related to, but not exclusively reliant on, the process plant itself. Using MS Teams as the ‘meeting’ management platform, students access the main control process operations panel of a pilot scale batch reactor designed to mimic an industrial automated reaction process. Supported by integrated cameras, students conduct an evaluation of manual verses automated process control of the operation with associated material and energy balances. The remote process plant presents a cost-effective method for students to gain real work experiences, complete outcome-based laboratories and allows lecturers to conduct simultaneous theory and practical based lectures with highly integrated outcomes creating a new style of learning environment and experience.

4.8 A water flow loop with ink visualisation, used by students at home

Peter B. Johnson, Keith Blackney.

Imperial College London

To facilitate hands-on working and first hand visualisations during remote working, a kit was developed and sent to all (167) second year undergraduate students at home. The kit was used in a 3 hour synchronous lab session to study Fluid Mechanics, with a focus on boundary layers in incompressible flow. A transparent (acrylic) water flow loop was designed and manufactured, with a working section 44 mm x 44 mm and 300 mm long. The loop is continuously supplied by an aquarium pump in a bucket, and a valve controls the flow rate. Internal parts were inserted in the working section to create flows of interest, including parallel, converging, and diverging flows. Two injection ports for diluted ink were included. An upstream port provided stream/streakline visualisation; and a second port ejected ink into the boundary layer on an internal part to visualise the existence and behaviour of the boundary layer, including attachment and separation. The presentation will show the design principle, the basic visualisations, some examples of student work, and reflections on how this activity has impacted the student experience.

4.9 Bioreactors

Adam Funnell

University of Sheffield

Bioengineers require a vast array of practical skills, from chemical handling and biological analysis, to electronics and coding. Bioengineering students are initially exposed to basic knowledge and practical techniques in an array of disciplines. However, when attempting independent projects later in their degree programme, students can struggle to make links between the wide-ranging topics, and to use their practical skills appropriately. We present an ambitious project for an entire cohort of undergraduate bioengineering students to build miniature electronically controlled photo-bioreactors from a custom designed kit of parts. The students must work with real algal cultures to determine optimum growth conditions, and then measure the output products after growing the alga in their own IoT connected photo-bioreactors. This project uses loosely structured lab exercises to bridge the gap between the fundamental theory taught in traditional modules, and fully independent design-and-build projects.