<p><font face="Times-Roman"> <p align="left">The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion <font face="Times-Roman">barriers on Ag.</font></p> </font></p>

<p>This thesis presents the different ways that have been achieved to improve and widen the interaction possibilities between LiveLab users. LiveLab is a virtual laboratory used at IDA (Institutionen för datavetenskap / The Department of Computer and Information Sciences) at Linköpings Universitet. This virtual laboratory is a virtual machine running an Kubuntu Linux 1 distribution thanks to VMware ² Player. It was created at the HCS (Human-Centered Systems) division of IDA. Aiming to be used in more and more courses, LiveLab may present a lack of certain functionalities. Thus thesis tries to shows how the development of applications may fulfil this lack.</p>

<p><font face="Times-Roman"> <p align="left">The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion <font face="Times-Roman">barriers on Ag.</font></p> </font></p>

This thesis presents the different ways that have been achieved to improve and widen the interaction possibilities between LiveLab users. LiveLab is a virtual laboratory used at IDA (Institutionen för datavetenskap / The Department of Computer and Information Sciences) at Linköpings Universitet. This virtual laboratory is a virtual machine running an Kubuntu Linux 1 distribution thanks to VMware 2 Player. It was created at the HCS (Human-Centered Systems) division of IDA. Aiming to be used in more and more courses, LiveLab may present a lack of certain functionalities. Thus thesis tries to shows how the development of applications may fulfil this lack.

This thesis is focused on a specific virtual laboratory support, which is designed and created as a device capable of data transferring to display and/or computational unit via serial port. Both the device and common PC are generally a corner stone of each virtual laboratory, which can be also accessed via internet. Technique, significant factors with impact of analog disturbances on digital communication and realization of standalone virtual laboratory are described in detail.

This dissertation encompasses two studies: one developing virtual field trips for mobile devices for an innovative approach to lower-division geoscience education, and the other examining the role of rock strength in river erosion and landscape evolution. The education study involves the development of three virtual field trip modules (Geologic Time, Geologic Structures, and Hydrologic Processes, all free on iTunes and Google Play) that lead students down a virtual Colorado River through Grand Canyon by physically moving around their campus quad, football field or other location, using their GPS-equipped smart phone or tablet. As students reach each location in the scaled down and geo-referenced virtual Grand Canyon, an informative video appears with a themed geological question and an interactive touchscreen activity. The effectiveness of these three modules in terms of student engagement and learning was tested at five U.S. Colleges with a range of missions and student demographics. Results show that the virtual field trip modules are effective at increasing student interest across races and genders in the geosciences, do not detract from student learning, and have the potential to increase content comprehension. The second study is the examination of the relation between rock strength and topography in the Colorado Plateau. This work contributes empirical data to the age-old debate over the mechanisms and patterns of stream erosion through statistical relations between rock strength and stream power, river steepness, and valley width along the Green-Colorado River system. Estimates of an “effective” tensile strength were calculated for units too incompetent to test directly, such as the shales prevalent in the region. Results indicate bedrock strength is a first-order control on river erosion in this landscape, as suggested by John Wesley Powell in 1896: “where the rocks are firm and stable, corrasion [sic] of the stream is slow; where the rocks are soft, corrasion [sic] is more rapid,” which is intuitive yet frequently overlooked.

Nesta dissertação são apresentados os resultados obtidos na elaboração de um sistema de aquisição e controle de experimentos, utilizando uma rede local de computadores. É proposta uma infra-estrutura baseada em instrumentação virtual em uma rede utilizando sistema operacional aberto e o protocolo de comunicação IPv6, parte integrante da camada de rede do protocolo TCP/IP. São selecionadas as tecnologias e ferramentas para o desenvolvimento do Laboratório remoto que se adaptam à integração entre o hardware e software para possibilitar o controle de experimentos e equipamentos de forma remota. A maior abrangência deste projeto está no desenvolvimento do Laboratório remoto com ferramentas de código aberto, como o sistema operacional Linux, o servidor Apache - como servidor WEB e o protocolo IPv6, para a comunicação da camada de rede. A proposta global deste trabalho é contribuir com a preparação da infra-estrutura de um ambiente de sistema operacional aberto, utilizado para a aquisição de dados em redes remotas, e com isto promover a cooperação e o compartilhamento de instrumentos, não se limitando apenas à área acadêmica e de pesquisa, mas estendendo essas facilidades para outras áreas do conhecimento. Como resultado deste trabalho é disponibilizado um Laboratório Virtual que possibilita o controle de um ensaio experimental, através de uma rede local. / In this dissertation are showed the results got in the making of acquisition and controlling experiments system, using a LAN. It´s offered a infra-structure based in virtual instrumentation for a network applying open operational system and the communication protocol Ipv6, part which belongs to network layer of TCP/IP protocol. The technologies and tools, which are chosen for the development of remote Laboratory, adapt themselves to integration between hardware and software to making possible the experiments and equipments control remoting. The main purpose of this project consist in the development of remote Laboratory with open-code tools, as Linux operational system, Apache server - as WEB server and Ipv6, for network layer communication. The global proposal of this work is contribute to setting up infra-structure of an open operational system, utilized to data acquisition in remote network, promote the work jointly and sharing of instruments, not restricting only to academic or knowledge areas. Like resulting of this work is available a Virtual Laboratory, which allow the control of experimental assay, through a LAN.

Nesta dissertação são apresentados os resultados obtidos na elaboração de um sistema de aquisição e controle de experimentos, utilizando uma rede local de computadores. É proposta uma infra-estrutura baseada em instrumentação virtual em uma rede utilizando sistema operacional aberto e o protocolo de comunicação IPv6, parte integrante da camada de rede do protocolo TCP/IP. São selecionadas as tecnologias e ferramentas para o desenvolvimento do Laboratório remoto que se adaptam à integração entre o hardware e software para possibilitar o controle de experimentos e equipamentos de forma remota. A maior abrangência deste projeto está no desenvolvimento do Laboratório remoto com ferramentas de código aberto, como o sistema operacional Linux, o servidor Apache - como servidor WEB e o protocolo IPv6, para a comunicação da camada de rede. A proposta global deste trabalho é contribuir com a preparação da infra-estrutura de um ambiente de sistema operacional aberto, utilizado para a aquisição de dados em redes remotas, e com isto promover a cooperação e o compartilhamento de instrumentos, não se limitando apenas à área acadêmica e de pesquisa, mas estendendo essas facilidades para outras áreas do conhecimento. Como resultado deste trabalho é disponibilizado um Laboratório Virtual que possibilita o controle de um ensaio experimental, através de uma rede local. / In this dissertation are showed the results got in the making of acquisition and controlling experiments system, using a LAN. It´s offered a infra-structure based in virtual instrumentation for a network applying open operational system and the communication protocol Ipv6, part which belongs to network layer of TCP/IP protocol. The technologies and tools, which are chosen for the development of remote Laboratory, adapt themselves to integration between hardware and software to making possible the experiments and equipments control remoting. The main purpose of this project consist in the development of remote Laboratory with open-code tools, as Linux operational system, Apache server - as WEB server and Ipv6, for network layer communication. The global proposal of this work is contribute to setting up infra-structure of an open operational system, utilized to data acquisition in remote network, promote the work jointly and sharing of instruments, not restricting only to academic or knowledge areas. Like resulting of this work is available a Virtual Laboratory, which allow the control of experimental assay, through a LAN.

Few studies have investigated the credibility of computer simulations, from the user’s perspective. This thesis tackles the credibility question, construed as inextricably linked to the judgments of actors who deal with simulations. The theoretical part of this work consists in a typology of credibility-related judgments pertaining to various media . This analysis leads to the development of a judgment construct applying specifically to interactive simulation, and based on the notion of verisimilitude, the quality of appearing true or real. The empirical part is an exploratory study that investigated the perceptions of potential users of a simulation-based learning environment (the VPLab). This study aimed to show the pertinence of verisimilitude in examining credibility discourse, and to explore themes for future research. Its specific objectives were to uncover: (1) users’ preoccupations and representations relating to the VPLab’s verisimilitude, (2) the cues enabling users to make judgments about the VPLab, and (3) the roles played by such cues in the expression of judgments. Following a qualitative and descriptive approach, the investigation included in-depth interviews with thirteen university science students. As part of the results, several varied research themes were developed and the complex nature of user verisimilitude judgments was highlighted. Furthermore, connections appeared between these judgments and individual traits of users, such as prior use of certain computer applications. The influence of various aspects of the environment on its verisimilitude was also considered. ----- [Version française] ---->>>> Peu d’ouvrages traitent de la crédibilité des simulations informatiques, du point de vue de leurs utilisateurs. Ce mémoire examine cette question sous l’angle des jugements de divers acteurs concernés par ces technologies. Son volet théorique définit une typologie de jugements associés à la crédibilité de divers media et propose un concept de jugement propre aux simulations interactives, fondé sur la notion de vraisemblance. Son volet empirique consiste en une étude exploratoire des perceptions des utilisateurs potentiels d’un environnement d’apprentissage fondé sur la simulation (le laboratoire virtuel de physique). Cette étude visait à démontrer la pertinence du concept de jugement de vraisemblance dans l’analyse de discours traitant de crédibilité, et à explorer des pistes de recherche future dans ce domaine. Les objectifs spécifiques de l’étude étaient de mettre au jour (1) les préoccupations et représentations des utilisateurs à l’égard de la vraisemblance de l’environnement, (2) les repères sur lesquels ils s’appuient pour poser des jugements et (3) les rôles que jouent ces repères dans ceux-ci. L’approche qualitative et descriptive retenue s’appuyait principalement sur des entrevues en profondeur auprès de treize étudiants universitaires. L’étude a permis d’explorer de nombreux thèmes de recherche inédits; ses résultats ont mis en relief le caractère complexe des jugements et fait apparaître des relations entre ces derniers et des caractéristiques des utilisateurs, telles que leurs antécédents en matière d’usage d’applications informatiques. L’influence de divers éléments ou caractéristiques de l’environnement sur les jugements a également été examinée.

Šiame darbe išnagrinėtos virtualios mikrokontrolerio programavimo laboratorijos naudojamos kitose mokymo įstaigose, jų realizavimo būdai ir naudojamos technologijos. Palygintos technologijos ir jų galimybės. Išanalizuotos kontrolerio nuotolinio valdymo per internetinės svetainės sąsają, tiesioginio vaizdo perdavimo, vartotojų autentifikavimo, resursų planavimo, duomenų saugojimo realizacijos galimybės. Atsižvelgiant į tyrimų rezultatus, sukurta VL, ne brangesnė už šiuo metu naudojamą laboratorijos priemonių komplektą. Virtuali laboratorija leidžia pilnai realizuoti VDU dėstomų dalykų laboratorinius darbus, pasiekiama nepriklausomai nuo vietos ar laiko. Išspręsta resursų planavimo problema – panaudojant VL vartotojų registraciją bei laiko rezervacijas. Realizuota tiesioginė vaizdo transliacija, kuri palaikoma beveik visų interneto naršyklių. Virtualioje laboratorijoje yra realizuota dviejų analoginių įėjimų simuliacija ir indikacija, 4-ių skaitmeninių įėjimų/išėjimų indikacija, bei 3-jų skaitmeninių įėjimų/išėjimų simuliacija. Turi prijungtą LCD displėjų. VL talpinimui, panaudojus mini kompiuterį Raspberry Pi, ji vartoja tik 5 W energijos. Dėl pasirinktos standartinės kameros bei naudojamos PĮ, TĮ komponentai gali būti pakeisti, nesukeliant didesnių problemų. Raspberry Pi duomenys saugomi SD kortelėje, todėl pasidarius veikiančios sistemos kopiją, galima lengvai ir greitai sukurti kelias laboratorijas. / This paper deals with the investigation of the virtual microcontroller programming laboratories used in other educational institutions, as well as their realization techniques, and technologies used. Technologies and their offered potentials are compared. The possibilities of microcontroller remote control via website interface, live video streaming, user authentication, resource planning, and data storage are examined. Taking into account investigation results, the virtual laboratory has been developed, no more expensive than those currently used in laboratory work equipment kit per student. Virtual Lab allows to fully realize laboratory works of subjects taught at VDU, as it is fully available irrespective of space or time constraints. The issue of resource planning problem was solved using the VL user registration and time booking. Live video broadcasting has been implemented, which is supported by nearly all Internet browsers. Virtual laboratory has 4 digital PIN indicators and 2 analog inputs indicators. VL can simulate 2 analog inputs and 3 digital I/O. It has an LCD connected. VL is hosted using Raspberry Pi mini-computer – it uses only 5 watts of energy. The chosen standard camera and software used enables worn-out parts to be easily replaced while evading any problems. Raspberry Pi data stored on the SD card, thus by making a copy of the working VL, one can create multiple laboratories.