Towards virtual laboratories: a survey of labVIEW-based teaching/learning tools and future trends

Abstract

The computer technology and the Internet have the potential to provide a highly interactive and powerful learning environment for engineering disciplines. Many academic courses that teach engineering subjects have already begun incorporating virtual instruments as teaching and measuring tools for student use. This paper reports some of the LabVIEW software applications. The paper aims to provide some background knowledge about the tools and to show alternative delivery methods, which may change the traditional practices. The main focus in the paper is given to the common problems (such as user friendliness, cost and compatibility) faced by the institutions and the educators, and it provides some guidance for the selection of the most suitable tools required. Finally, the paper contemplates the future trends and provides some discussion.