Towards interoperability: a wrapper model for integrating remote laboratories in a collaborative discovery learning environment

Abstract

Collaborative theories in learning are playing a vital role in the way learners interact with each other. More concretely, in collaborative learning the communication between learners is considered the most important element in their knowledge building. Regarding experimental subjects, the discovery learning discipline has emerged, in which students construct their knowledge through experimentation. In this sense, platforms such as Pedagogica, Web‐based inquiry science environment, SimQuest, Interactive Physics, Working Models and Co‐Lab provide support of this kind of learning. Regarding experimentation, one of the resources that may enrich the learning of students is the use of remote laboratories. However, the majority of these learning systems lack interfaces and models to provide interoperability with remote laboratories. Regarding interoperability issues, service‐oriented architecture (SOA) is the most well‐known paradigm for this issue. In this paper, we describe a wrapper model based on SOA for interoperability between Co‐Lab and existing remote laboratories. Moreover, we explain how we have integrated the existing remote laboratories in Co‐Lab using this model and we show the general pattern for including external experiments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.