SBIR Phase I: World Wide Student Laboratory

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will evaluate the merit and feasibility of the World Wide Student Laboratory (WWSL). WWSL is a scalable Internet-based education infrastructure that enables students, under the guidance of their educators, to have 24x7 remote access enabling them to carry out, advanced educational experiments in modern laboratories at leading universities and research centers worldwide, regardless of the students' location. This approach will improve the quality of the laboratory experience and substantially reduce the cost of the educational laboratory, which is the most difficult and expensive segment of science and engineering education to provide. Using WWSL, educational institutions will be able to afford better facilities for the education they provide, access to the best lab facilities in other institutions, and substantially broaden the number of lab study subjects in their curriculum. Individual instructors can customized the content and methods of lab for their students. WWSL will make available all materials necessary for fulfillment of the lab work The economic and societal benefits of the WWSL approach are based on the potential a dramatic increase in the efficiency of existing lab facilities in universities. WWSL can serve traditional universities, colleges and high schools, as well as distance education institutions.