Including the virtual laboratory concept in an on-line collaborative environment

Abstract

With the aim of combining the main advantages of the virtual laboratories and the collaborative learning environments, a new on-line collaborative environment is proposed in this paper. This environment includes, in addition to other common tools, simulation applets in the user interface. To make possible the collaborative learning, the simulations work in a synchronized way for the users of a same group. The main features of the first prototype of the environment and its architecture are described. This prototype has been developed as a module for the popular CMS Moodle.