Hypermedia Modules for Distance Education and Beyond

The rapid evolution of digital, networked multimedia technology such as the Internet, e-mail, and computer based and video conferencing can open new educational opportunities. This article describes the use of hypermedia modules inside the distance learning, in particular, in the field of computer based training in electronic instrumentation and measurements. This educational experience has been developed by the Department of Electronic (Department di Electronica) - Polytechnic of Torino (Italy), where the author participated to control the educational process. This project is a part of an Italian research of distance education named “Consorzio Nettuno” which involves different undergraduate courses (Electronic Engineering, Information Technology, Economic Science). Several modules have been developed, using multimedia technologies, to assist the students to acquire the fundamentals of the basic electronic instrumentation. A client-server system has been designed in order to allow the students to operate on a remote laboratory for experimental training. The courseware includes lessons, exercises, and a training on virtual instruments which emulate actual instruments. The students can also carry out several real laboratory experiments without actually being in the laboratory, by using a client-server structure based on the Internet.