In keeping with the purpose of proceedings papers, to report on work in progress, this paper addresses the use of virtual labs for college physics, learning in cooperative groups, and the analysis of research. The five authors are based in departments of engineering, information management, or computer science. Procedures for delivering the lecture portion of courses abound, but solutions for handling the laboratory portions are just beginning to be addressed.

The heart of the paper, and the reason for presenting it at the 18th International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications (AINA 2004), deals with the virtual lab experiences. Two versions of computer-based labs are described: one allows students to input real data, and the other is a simulation with data supplied by the program. The virtual experiments allow students to replicate results reported on in the textbook. The real experiments allow for greater flexibility and experimentation. The two versions are integrated into a single program, called VRSchool, to maximize learning potential for the remote student. Photographs and figures support the descriptions.

The description of the experiment in distant collaborative learning is difficult to follow, particularly the discussion of dynamic grouping. The groups or teams are partnerships that are rearranged based upon performance during the term. The idea was to determine what student attributes make for the best learning partnerships. The evaluation of the experiment is difficult to follow as well. To report no significant difference, and then to discuss the differences, is problematic.

In conclusion, the paper is recommended to readers interested in remote solutions for on-campus laboratories. It is not recommended as a resource for cooperative learning or research analysis.