A web‐based tool for control engineering teaching

In this article a new tool for control engineering teaching is presented. The tool was implemented using Java applets and is freely accessible through Web. It allows the analysis and simulation of linear control systems and was created to complement the theoretical lectures in basic control engineering courses. The article is not only centered in the description of the tool but also in the methodology to use it and its evaluation in an electrical engineering degree. Two practical problems are included in the manuscript to illustrate the use of the main functions implemented. The developed web‐based tool can be accessed through the link http://www.controlweb.cyc.ull.es. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 178–187, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20080

[1]  J. W. Overstreet,et al.  An Internet-based real-time control engineering laboratory , 1999 .

[2]  Bonnie S. Heck,et al.  Enhancing classical controls education via interactive GUI design , 1999 .

[3]  Martin Llamas,et al.  Internet-based learning by doing , 2001 .

[4]  D. C. Kennedy,et al.  Student attitudes toward the use of hypermedia instruction and web support in control education - a comparative study , 2002, Proceedings of the 2002 American Control Conference (IEEE Cat. No.CH37301).

[5]  Astrom.  Computer Controlled Systems , 1990 .

[6]  Claude Gomez,et al.  Engineering and Scientific Computing with Scilab , 1998 .

[7]  Kay Chen Tan,et al.  Development of a web-based laboratory for control experiments on a coupled tank apparatus , 2001, IEEE Trans. Educ..

[8]  Vassilios Petridis,et al.  ACES: an interactive software platform for self-instruction and self-evaluation in automatic control systems , 2003, IEEE Trans. Educ..

[9]  Domenico Prattichizzo,et al.  The automatic control telelab: a user-friendly interface for distance learning , 2003, IEEE Trans. Educ..

[10]  Katsuhiko Ogata,et al.  Modern Control Engineering , 1970 .

[11]  Vincent G. Gomes,et al.  Facilitating process control teaching and learning in a virtual laboratory environment , 2002, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[12]  Elena Trichina,et al.  Learning benefits of structural example-based adaptive tutoring systems , 2003, IEEE Trans. Educ..

[13]  Panos S. Shiakolas,et al.  Environment for engineering design, analysis, and simulation for education using MATLAB via the World Wide Web. I. Environment description and development , 2002, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[14]  Naresh K. Sinha,et al.  Modern Control Systems , 1981, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[15]  Karl Johan Åström,et al.  Interactive tools for education in automatic control , 1998 .

[16]  Ali El-Hajj,et al.  Digital control systems simulation using spreadsheets , 2003, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[17]  John W. Eaton,et al.  Gnu Octave Manual , 2002 .

[18]  Antonio J. López Martín.  Web-Based Remote Learning of Communication Systems: A Successful Experience , 2003 .

[19]  Mikael Johansson,et al.  Dynamic pictures and interactive learning , 1998 .

[20]  Panos S. Shiakolas,et al.  Environment for engineering design, analysis, and simulation for education using MATLAB via the World Wide Web. II. Representative examples—System simulation and planar mechanism synthesis and analysis , 2002, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[21]  Michael M. Grant.  Learning to teach with the web: Factors influencing teacher education faculty , 2004, Internet High. Educ..