Education and training in grid-enabled laboratories and complex systems

Abstract

The development of grid-oriented technologies revamps the idea of using virtual laboratories for education in schools and universities, and for the training of professionals. This is a challenging idea, both from the pedagogical and the technical point of view. The model of hands-on experience can be implemented reducing the need of physical machineries, thus removing inherent boundaries and limitations. Moreover, this decreases costs and promotes the sharing of exclusive resources. In this perspective, the chapter presents possible architectural blueprints for the usage of distributed simulation and emulation facilities for e-learning purposes, as well as for scientific research, resulting in a novel grid-supported collaborative learning environment.