A Virtual Learning Environment for the Study of the Discovery of the Electron

Abstract

This paper describes both the construction of a system to remotely access and control a didactic and real experiment to determine the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron, and the development of a virtual learning environment (VLE) in which the remote experiment is inserted. The experimental apparatus is similar to that used by Joseph John Thomson in 1897 which resulted in the discovery of the electron. The remote experiment can be accessed online from a personal computer or from a mobile device under Android operating system. Results of an experimental and remote determination of the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron are presented as well as an analysis of the VLE usability.Index Terms-high school education, open laboratory, remote experiment, scientific education, virtual learning environment, WebLab.