Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities

1. Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities iLab Perspectives Kayode P. Ayodele Electronic & Electrical Engineering Department Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria kayodele@oauife.edu.ng

2. Overview of Presentation • Introduction to iLabs Objectives, techniques, achievements, challenges • Retaining Academics: a Case Study Benefits derived from iLab work suggest some approaches in retaining academics • Possible Future Roles for iLabs How iLabs technology might help achieve the vision Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

3. Background to iLab Definition • Laboratory Experiments very Important Instrumentation, Models, Experiment, Data Analysis, Design, Learning from Failure, Creativity, Psychomotor skills, Safety, Communication, Teamwork, Ethics in the Laboratory, Sensory Awareness • Experimentation Requirements Laboratory experimentation requires the student, a system under test(SUT), the laboratory, and instructions Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

4. What is a Remote Laboratory? • Plays Role of Traditional Laboratory Student no longer needs to be in the same physical place (or time!) as the system under test • Why? - Lab can be accessed from anywhere at anytime - Single set-up leveraged among many users/institutions - Minimum staffing requirements - Minimum training - No user safety concerns Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

5. What is an iLab? • A remote laboratory (rlab) architecture Originally developed by MIT but now moving to community-based development Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

6. Can iLabs Possibly Be Effective? • Some Evidence of Effectiveness To date, most evaluations have used questionnaires and anecdotal evidence. More rigorous assessments ongoing • Only Need Instill some of the 13 Skills Essentially no lab instills all 13 skills. As long as iLabs can instill some, they are somewhat effective • Half Bread… In some cases, iLabs offer some access where there would have been none Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

7. iLabs Progress/Achievements • MIT Has Developed Multiple iLabs MIT Weblab, Dynamic System Analyzer Lab, ELVIS Labs, Shake Table, Nuclear Reactor • OAU and African Partners too Op Amp, Logic Lab, FPGA lab, Robotic Arm lab, Emona Datex • Labs Used by More than 3000 Students Students from North America, Africa, Asia, Oceania have used iLabs. Also some use in Europe. Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

8. iLabs Progress/Achievements • Strategic Relationships Formed Relationships with companies and other partners have led to many benefits spanning domain larger than iLab • Significant Value to African Researchers Explored more in next section Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

9. iLabs: Challenges • Bandwidth iLab copes well with bandwidth constraint that is characteristic of Africa but more would be better… • Total Cost of Deployment Adoption of any rlab has associated hidden costs that should not be ignored…but they are still worth it Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

10. The Challenge of Retaining the next Generation of Academics (in images) vs NOT actual OAU images. Only representative. Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

11. What do Academics Want? • An Incomplete List: Access to Equipment Access to Journals/Libraries Access to Leading Minds in Field/Mentorship Excellent working conditions (infrastructure, environment, funding) Opportunity to achieve global recognition (fame?) Opportunity to be a change agent * …financial incentives Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

12. What iLabs Offered:Access to Equipment • iLab Funding Allowed Equipment Purchase; Fellowship Allows More Targeted Purchase • Access to MIT Equipment Where Necessary Although yet to fully utilize the opportunity, no MIT equipment ruled off-limit during visits • Links to Leading Companies in Research Area Technology and products from National instruments, Microsoft etc Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

13. What iLabs Offered:Access To Journals/Library • Access to MIT Library The MIT library allowed OAU iLab researchers access the best papers from the best authors for the first time • Improved Research Output We can study and cite more seminal , high-quality papers, thereby boosting quality of our research and papers Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

14. What iLabs Offered:Chance to Meet/Work With Experts • iLab Research Allowed Linkage With Leaders Working with one of the best universities in the world has been a good opportunity to meet and work with the very best minds in the field • Access Extends Far Beyond iLabs Jesus del Alamo, Jerry Sussman, Hal Abelson, many more of the world’s best researchers…within easy reach Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

15. What iLabs Offered:Excellent Working Conditions • Exchange Visits to MIT Highly Productive We are guaranteed some time in a more conducive environment than usual home workplace • Opportunity to Compete for Funds Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

16. What iLabs Offered:Career Fast-tracking • Multiple Papers Published Eight papers authored or co-authored, presentation at multiple conferences • Opportunity to Meet the Leaders Not just leaders in academic disciplines. Also global leaders in global HEI administration, public and private sector etc • Resume Booster Collaboration with MIT researchers deemed “big deal” even in parts of US Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

17. What does a Young African Academic Want? • What iLabs Offered Access to Equipment Access to Journals/Libraries Access to Leading Minds in Field/Mentorship Excellent working conditions Opportunity to achieve global recognition (fame?) Opportunity to be a change agent * …financial incentives Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

18. How iLabs Can Help Realize Vision • Access to Advanced Equipment • Spurring Creation of Communities by Sharing Resources • Experience Can Help in Developing Communities Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

19. In a nutshell • iLabs Allows Remote Access to Hardware • iLabs Research has Led to the Retention of Young Academics • iLabs can Help in Facilitating PG Research and Creation of Communities Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives

20. Thank You! Creative Uses of ICT for Postgraduate Training and Research and Building Scholarly Communities: iLab Perspectives