Remote Instrumentation for the Teaching Laboratory

Chemistry has traditionally been one of the more difficult subjects to teach at a distance owing mostly to challenges in delivering the laboratory component. It is now possible to control analytical instruments in real time and carry out computer-interfaced instrumental chemistry experiments remotely via an Internet connection. Selected project students in the Chemical Technology Program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) carried out experiments remotely on FTIR and GC instruments, while several first-year Athabasca University chemistry students used the UV–vis spectrophotometer to analyze their samples at a distance. This paper presents an overview of this collaborative project in which students incorporate remote experiments and analyses as part of their training and learning experience within existing courses.