  We present aspects of the deployment of a remotely operable telescope for
teaching practical science to distance learning undergraduate students. We
briefly describe the technical realization of the facility, PIRATE, in Mallorca
and elaborate on how it is embedded in the Open University curriculum. The
PIRATE teaching activities were studied as part of a wider research project
into the importance of realism, sociability and meta-functionality for the
effectiveness of virtual and remote laboratories in teaching practical science.
We find that students accept virtual experiments (e.g. a telescope simulator)
when they deliver genuine, 'messy' data, clarify how they differ from a
realistic portrayal, and are flagged as training tools. A robotic telescope is
accepted in place of on-site practical work when realistic activities are
included, the internet connection is stable, and when there is at least one
live video feed. The robotic telescope activity should include group work and
facilitate social modes of learning. Virtual experiments, though normally
considered as asynchronous tools, should also include social interaction. To
improve student engagement and learning outcomes a greater situational
awareness for the robotic telescope setting should be devised. We conclude this
report with a short account of the current status of PIRATE after its
relocation from Mallorca to Tenerife, and its integration into the OpenScience
Observatories.
