Tomáš Kozík

E-learning concept for the properties of materials remote study

This paper describes how remote and virtual laboratories can support students in material properties study. The structure of the course and division of the study materials are described. The educational environment used for virtual and remote laboratories is presented.

Preparing and managing the remote experiment in education

Remote laboratories have become a real fact in recent years not only at technical universities, but also at lower educational levels. The use of such technology in education is not associated only with the advantages. The attention of pedagogical research is necessary to focus also to some specific problems, pitfalls and risks that occur as a side effect. The development and operation of remote laboratories requires certain resources. Some experiments are able to run fully automatically, others require constant human interference on the spot. What has been overlooked the developers and users of remote experiments was the question how to manage the long-term operation, reliability and innovation of the remote real experiments installed at remote laboratories. In remote experiments, students, consciously or unconsciously, are trying the limit parameters of the experiment. Although such behaviour is important in terms of education, safety of the facilities must be taken into account.

Software Tools for Creating and Presenting Virtual 3D Models

The authors of the article define the criteria for a selection of the most suitable software tool for creating and presenting virtual 3D models in educational research. Geomagic Design system is presented as a software that meets the specified selection criteria to create 3D models and the software environment of Adobe Acrobat Reader is a convenient means of their presentation. The experience of the authors from the research application of virtual 3D models in the educational process confirms, that the pupils can work with the mentioned software products without any problems and without any instructions.

Challenges of using ICT in education

The characteristics of modern day education are the application of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) which are becoming increasingly important in the teaching of subjects with different focus. The specificity of individual subjects makes it necessary to adapt methods of different ICT-tools used in education. Online courses and the distribution of content over the Internet will significantly impact education in the coming years and decades. The traditional school model has lost its monopoly in the process, content, methods and learning objectives. The current model of the university, which combines teaching and research and possesses property and bureaucratic background, in most cases, will be unsustainable in the next ten to fifteen years. Rather than providing information and lessons, the school will become a place of consultation and informal personal contact between students and teachers. More important than before will be practical exercises which cannot be provided online. As in any learning process an important issue is the attention paid to student evaluation. For an objective and correct evaluation challenges in an ICT-aided learning environment are great.

Remote experiment at universities

The idea of sharing laboratories through the Internet for educational purposes emerged in the nineties of the last century in the USA. Since that time, remote real experiments have registered significant progress and currently are constantly developing. Several authors in their professional studies confirm their educational benefits. The paper presents observations and experiences of regular users of remote real experiments - university teachers from various places in the world to the use of remote real experiments in education.