Mobile open online laboratories: A way towards connectionist massive online laboratories with x-API (c-MOOLs)

In this paper, we will present and compare the typology of online labs now accepted in the various standardization of online laboratory components working groups and show how they evolved over time and become indispensable tools for teaching, training and learning in science, engineering and technology. We will demonstrate why, among all other described below, mobile laboratories constitute today the most appropriate to implement Massive Open Online Laboratories (MOOLs) or Mobile Open Online Laboratories (MOOLs) using a lab@home or portable laboratory concepts thanks to miniaturized open source electronic devices and cloud computing technologies. As member of research community networked distributed systems, we know that online labs, an instance of it, or commonly called labs at distance are distributed and flexible IT environments that enable a learner to perform laboratory work over computer networks, alone or in collaboration with other participants in a distance learning context. Participants are actors playing each one a role during an interactive session in synchronous or asynchronous mode through computer user interfaces. The online labs allow the sharing of material resources and expertise. They combine the advantages of different types of laboratories.