Whether and How Authentic Contexts Using a Virtual Chemistry Lab Support Learning

Abstract

How can we help students develop an understanding of chemistry that integrates conceptual knowledge with the experimental and computational procedures needed to apply chemistry in authentic contexts? The current work describes ChemVLab+, a set of online chemistry activities that were developed using promising design principles from chemistry education and learning science research: setting instruction in authentic contexts, connecting concepts with science practices, linking multiple representations, and using formative assessment with feedback. A study with more than 1400 high school students found that students using the online activities demonstrated increased learning as evidenced by improved problem solving and inquiry over the course of the activities and by statistically significant improvements from pre- to posttest. Further, exploratory analyses suggest that students may learn most effectively from these materials when the activities are used after initial exposure to the content and when they work individually rather than in pairs.

Teaching Chemistry with Arduino Experiments in a Mixed Virtual-Physical Learning Environment

“…At the same time, a great variety of digital educational objects including VLs are available in various repositories, to be used as a substitute or alongside hands on experiments with physical instruments. VLs provide opportunities when physical laboratories are not available or practical (Davenport 2018 ). Arduino experiments may bridge the gap of virtual vs. physical instrumentation as being a tool to conduct experiments with physical instruments and substances in a mixed virtual-physical learning environment.…”

“…A mixed virtual-physical learning environment has to facilitate the alternative learning paths, and it is appropriate for educational systems, where various barriers (e.g. limited infrastructure) confront with hands-on experimentation in real lab (Davenport, 2018;Tatli & Ayas, 2013;Tountoulidis, 2011). Arduino instrumentation is appropriate for this purpose since it can transmit data from sensors to a PC by using inexpensive infrastructure (Grinias et al, 2016) and therefore bridge the gap between virtual learning environment and real instruments.…”

“…However, in Greek Junior High schools, teaching Chemistry is mainly based on factual knowledge with limited mathematical foundations, according to the instructions of the Greek national curriculum. In addition, although hands-on laboratory work is an indispensable element of understanding chemistry courses, various limiting factors such as insufficient lab infrastructure, overpopulated classes, lack of teachers' self-confidence, and an excessive amount of time and effort required to conduct accurate experiments result to the use of experiments through demonstration and in many cases in the absence of experiments (Davenport, 2018;Tatli & Ayas, 2013;Kurbanoglu & Akim, 2010;Tountoulidis, 2011).…”

A Novel Chemistry E-Lab Software System for Improving Students’ Interest and Familiarity with Laboratory Operations

“…On the other hand, in recent years the use of software has become ubiquitous in education settings [16][17][18][19][20][21]. It is well known that laboratory equipments are of significant importance in chemistry lab.…”

The Implementation of Virtual Labs in Aerospace Structures Education

“…Since the initial introductions of the VL concepts, research on the effectiveness of VLs confirmed that properly designed virtual simulation tools can enhance students' learning processes [9], [10]. As a result, VLs have been implemented and/or studied across the wide variety of disciplines, such as life science (e.g., biology) [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], physical sciences (e.g., physics and chemistry) [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], mathematics/computer sciences [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], and engineering [26], [27], [28], [29], [30].…”