Open platform for building, deploying and managing remote labs

This article presented an open platform for building, managing and deploying remote labs. Its development is supported by open educational resources, free software, and open hardware. The verification of the platform was performed in three scenarios that used remote laboratories. Courses in the distance learning modality, higher education and basic education, including technical education, were used. The methodological choice for the development of the platform used the Design Science Research method. The evaluation was performed from two scenarios: one built from experts with recognized experience in the research area and another with potential users, to understand the acceptance of resources and tools. The first included an experimental evaluation from experts in the field of research. And a second group where questionnaires were applied that sought the respondent’s perception about the experience and use of remote laboratories. The questionnaires for this group included items related to usability, learning perception, usefulness, and satisfaction. The questionnaires were answered by 86 experts from 31 countries, who gave an average grade of 7.96 for the three remote laboratories evaluated. From the second group, 995 students participated in the research. The results showed that the proposed platform makes it possible for institutions to make available resources through the construction of remote laboratories. For students and teachers, it is an opportunity to take advantage of existing connectivity by making use of available computing resources, especially mobile devices, enabling them to perform their practical activities via the Internet.