Integrating Virtual Experiments into the

Overall laboratory Experience

HEA workshop

Paul Yates 27 Nov 2014

What is a virtual experiment?

Examples

Advantages and limitations

Research work

Role in the overall laboratory

Launch of project report

Workshop outline

3

What is a virtual experiment?

Simulation

Virtual experiment

Remote experiment

Physical experiment

4

The Continuum

Examples of virtual experiments

5

The Open Science Laboratory

Earthquake

Plant Cells

Explore the nature of science

Develop team work

Cultivating interest in science

Promote conceptual understanding

Develop inquiry skills

Laboratory Teaching

Develop practical skills

Experience troubleshooting

Set up equipment

Observation over long time span

Develop conceptual knowledge via tactile information

Authentic delays between experiments

Deal with unanticipated events

Measurement uncertainties

8

Physical laboratories

Simplify learning

Highlight salient information

Remove confusing details

Modify time scale

Unobservable phenomena

Link to symbolic equations

Gather more information

Student prompts

Instructional data

9

Virtual laboratories

Change magnetic field of the earth

Vary accumulation of greenhouse gases

Extreme heart rate and blood pressure

10

Unobservable phenomena

Research work

11

These new technologies do not replace educators but

replace the educators’ role by pushing them from the

position of information source to creative managers and

facilitators in learning experiences.

In order to be successful in such a change, the educators

need to adapt themselves in new technologies and

knowhow to get benefits from these technologies in their

classroom environments;

12

Kara et al.

One practice observed in VRL applications is to design GUIs

which are replicas of laboratory equipment of particular

brands. A drawback of this approach is the difficulty of

modifying the GUI and its functionality when the underlying

equipment needs to be replaced by different brand or

model. Designing GUIs that incorporate generic instrument

panels and equipment illustrations eliminates this weakness

while satisfying the users desire to use, to some extent,

actual GUIs.

13

14

Rossiter and Shokouhi

15

Lila (Library of Labs)

SCORM packages

Repository of shared

experiments

Integrate into Learning

Management Systems

Orientation, execution,

review

16

Richter, Tetour and Boehringer

Some conventional laboratories must remain in the

curriculum. for labs that involve a kinesthetic element and

require the development of specific motor skills to ensure

success.

Universities’ teaching times often coincide, meaning that only

a small number of institutions can use a given remote

experiment as part of their undergraduate course.

17

Coble et al.

18

In remote experiments, students are usually required to

follow strict procedures in order to complete an experiment

safely and on time. Virtual experiments have few constraints

with regard to time and safety, and are well suited to an

exploratory style of learning, which teaches fundamental

concepts and improves theoretical understanding.

Potential benefits:

• students would feel more relaxed and comfortable in the laboratory;

• less laboratory time would be wasted looking for items of apparatus;

• students would be more likely to assemble and use apparatus in the

correct way leading to more meaningful experimental results;

• greater familiarity with laboratory procedures may improve safety;

and

• students could devote more of their attention to the concepts

involved in the experiments because they would already be familiar

with the procedural aspects of the task.

19

Dalgarno, Bishop and Bedgood

20

Highest priorities:

• skills in recording, reporting and interpreting observations;

• higher level cognitive skills of deductive reasoning, hypothesis

formation and testing;

• skills related to manipulative and instrument use.

Studies showing no difference in conceptual understanding:

Wiesner and Lan (chemical engineering)

Zacharia and Constantinou (heat and temperature)

21

Physical vs virtual laboratories

Only a requirement for the development of conceptual

knowledge or inquiry skills where students have no

previous relevant physical experience with the

phenomenon or concept under study.

22

Tactile information

Students investigating simulated electric circuits showing

moving electrons acquired more conceptual knowledge

than those using physical materials.

23

Finkelstein et al.

Students using virtual optics materials displaying light rays

outperformed those using physical materials.

24

Olympiou and Zacharia

Virtual laboratory offered students more time to experience

experiment and to concentrate on concepts. Allowed

faster manipulation of materials.

Students conducting a virtual and a physical laboratory

outperformed students performing only the physical

laboratory on conceptual understanding of heat and

temperature.

25

Zacharia

A group of microbiology students who performed physical

laboratories were less successful on a conceptual test than

a group where a simulation was substituted for one

laboratory session.

26

Huppert et al.

Students who used a simulation of distillation preceding the

physical laboratory had an advantage over students who did

not.

27

Climent-Bellido et al.

No significant difference between starting with the virtual

laboratory followed by a physical laboratory compared to

the reverse order (DNA gel electrophoresis).

28

Toth et al.

No difference between virtual-physical and physical-virtual

sequence in conceptual understanding of pulleys.

29

Chini et al.

Draw a graphical representation of how a virtual experiment

could be related to other aspects of the laboratory:

Pre-laboratory work

Hands on experiments

Report writing

Data analysis

Design

Planning

30

The overall laboratory

31

32

Exploit the advantages of each method

Design combinations carefully for greatest benefit

Provide appropriate student guidance

33

Summary