Virtual Lab Provisioning Through LMS for Browser-Based Practical Learning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals lack access to high-end computer systems or lab setups required for practical learning in virtual environments, particularly for courses needing complex software installations, leading to theoretical knowledge without practical application.
Innovation Solution
A virtual lab provisioning system that creates learner and reviewer desktops on an infrastructure-as-a-service platform, integrating with learning management systems to provide seamless access to high-end machines and software, enabling hands-on learning with auto-marking capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If learners use personal computers for virtual learning, then accessibility and convenience are improved, but hardware capabilities and software installation capacity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual lab provisioning system as an intermediary between learners' personal computers and the required high-end computing resources. This system provides virtual machines with necessary software and hardware capabilities through cloud infrastructure, allowing learners to access complex software environments without installing them locally. The virtual lab acts as a mediator that delivers adaptability and versatility while maintaining ease of access through web browsers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of high-end computer systems and lab environments that can be accessed by learners through their personal devices. Instead of requiring learners to have physical access to expensive hardware or install complex software packages, the system provides replicated virtual instances of these environments through cloud-based virtual machines, enabling software installation and execution capabilities without local resource requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex software packages are installed on personal computers, then software availability is improved, but system requirements and hardware constraints worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual lab provisioning system serves as an intermediary that provides software availability without requiring learners to meet high hardware requirements. By hosting software environments on remote servers and delivering them through virtual machines accessible via web browsers, the system eliminates the need for learners to install or run complex software packages locally, thereby bypassing hardware constraints entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of installing software locally on personal computers with a cloud-based virtualization system. Instead of physically installing software packages that consume local storage and processing resources, the system substitutes this with remote software delivery through virtual machines accessed via standard web browsers, eliminating the hardware burden while maintaining software availability.
3Measurement precision
If manual review of learner work is performed, then assessment accuracy is improved, but time consumption and labor requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback mechanisms that provide immediate assessment of learner work in virtual labs. The system captures learner activities, submissions, and performance data through tracking mechanisms and applies automated evaluation algorithms to provide instant feedback on assignments and experiments. This maintains assessment accuracy through objective measurement while eliminating the time-consuming manual review process.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual lab system enables self-service assessment capabilities where learners receive automated evaluation of their work without requiring manual intervention from instructors. The system automatically grades assignments, evaluates experiment results, and provides performance feedback based on predefined criteria and tracking data, allowing learners to immediately understand their performance while freeing instructors from repetitive manual review tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
Current approaches create web based simulated lab type of setups for students/learners in which lab environment is created according to course of student. However, these conventional approaches require student systems to have some basic setup for working on virtual labs. Few available techniques also provide cloud-based virtual labs in which private cloud is created but they use open-source tool for creation. Further, available virtual lab techniques do not provide seamless integration with LMS. Present disclosure provides methods and systems for provisioning virtual lab with learning management system. The system provides virtual desktop that is created on an infrastructure-as-a-service platform. The learner desktop is accessed by a user/learner from respective existing computer system via LMS account. The virtual desktop includes hardware configuration and software packages required to solve one or more problems or perform one or more experiments related to course for which learners have enrolled in LMS.