The Practical Sandpit
An internet-based resource for creating virtual experiments
What is a practical Sandpit?
It will be an internet-based resource for creating virtual practical resources from basic modules. This approach will make virtual experiments truly open in that instructors can create and tailor resources according to their own practise and students’ needs.
Why am I doing it?
Through my participation in the JISC sponsored “Skills for Scientists” project, I created online experiment resources for the JorumOpen repository under Creative Commons licensing. However, making resources “open” does not mean they will be used, and personal experience as a laboratory coordinator suggests that academic creativity in practical learning is vital. It is therefore apparent that although “open” in terms of being accessed, virtual experiment OERs are “closed” in the sense of creative re-use. The practical sandpit will therefore provide a modular means for creating virtual experiments with minimum complexity in programming and resources.
Extra content
Comment 1 by Chris Barrett
Comment 2 by Paul Hatherly
Paul Hatherly
2:32pm 15 October 2010
Hi Chris,
This is something I'm thinking about in the light of how the sandpit wll finally work. My current thinking would involve resources or assets being placed in an open repository, properly tagged and documented with their purpose and means of use.
I'm sure I'll have other ideas as the project progresses, meanwhile, I'm open to sugestions...
Paul.
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Chris Barrett
2:22pm 15 October 2010
Hi Paul,
How will we use this in practice. If I have an experiment resource, how do I put it into the sandpit so others can access it?
Chris