The Impact of Virtual Laboratory Environments in Teaching-by-Inquiry Electric Circuits in Greek Secondary Education: The ElectroLab Project

Abstract

The present paper presents a review of the results of the ElectroLab project, which is a research and development program on the utilization of virtual laboratory environments in teaching-by-inquiry DC electric circuits to students of secondary education in Greece. The impact of the virtual laboratory environments when embedded in investigative activities is assessed with regard to (a) the students’ conceptual evolution and comprehension of simple and complex phenomena in electric circuits, (b) the students’ ability to transform electric circuits from one form to another (real, virtual, or schematic), and (c) the students’ ability to design and successfully implement experimental procedures with simple electric circuits. Desired features and affordances of virtual laboratory environments emerge from these results, which, when properly utilized, may prove virtual laboratories to be very powerful teaching tools.