E-Learning with GOLDi

The interactive hybrid online lab GOLDi (Grid of Online Lab Devices Ilmenau - www.goldi-labs.net) has been an integral part of teaching for many years. It is used at TU Ilmenau for courses, practical work and online demonstrations. Furthermore, it is used in cooperation with national and international project partners.

The preparation of the learning content in the form of digital, interactive simulations, video recordings or via remote access opens up a flexible time management according to the individual working rhythm and level of knowledge with the permanent availability. For that goal the "Tutorial Technische Informatik / Rechnerorganisation / Schaltsysteme" can be used as well, based on the course book "Schaltsysteme".

An integral part of the online laboratory are various online tools, so-called interactive learning objects, which are tailored to the training process and give students the opportunity to use the knowledge imparted in the lectures through internet-based experiments.

 

 

   

Laws of Boolean algebra can be explained with the help of the tool "SANE" (Smart Application for Non-traditional Education). Students can experiment with given tasks or freely with arbitrary expressions of algebra to work out and understand the interrelationships of algebraic regularities in interaction. For this purpose, the tools are designed to perform calculations in real time and to display the results in various freely selectable views and contexts - e.g. Boolean expressions in various normal forms or their value progression as a value table.

For sequential circuits and control algorithms that are systematically designed on the theoretical basis of finite state machines, the tool "GIFT" (Graphical Interactive FSM-Tool) is available. With the help of a graphical editor, control algorithms can be designed and analyzed as automaton graphs. The analysis is done by selectable animated waveforms of the input and output signals of the design or by exporting the design to the GOLDi online lab and subsequent interactive experimentation with it.

The connection between Boolean algebra, circuit algebraic expressions and their circuit implementation is provided by the online tool "BEAST" (Block diagram Editor And Simulation Tool). In this tool, students can virtually create digital circuits and observe their behavior in real time using waveforms and color-coded connections that symbolize active and inactive virtual lines. This can be used to develop simple combinational circuits as well as more complex sequential circuits as control algorithms.