Qualitatively Different Ways Students Experience Remote Access Laboratories

This paper reports variations in students' experience of using remote access laboratories (RAL). Outcomes describe what students are actually attending to when engaged in RAL activities. The research was informed by the well-accepted and documented qualitative research method of phenomenography. Four qualitatively different conceptions are described, each revealing characteristics of increasingly complex student experiences. These conceptions reveal increasing awareness of certain aspects of RAL, the most notable of which is how the realness of the activity affects student engagement from simple experimentation to an appreciation that linking theory with practice provides a rich learning experience and can prepare them for professional work. The research outcomes inform pedagogy by providing a platform for improving RAL development and facilitation practices and thereby improving student learning outcomes.

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