Hands-on Learning Environment Research Articles

The Future of Distance Learning: Streamlined Labs in Virtual Education

Contemporary technologies afford us the opportunity to augment and substitute traditional in-person classes with computer-based resources commonly known as virtual labs. Before the global pandemic, physical classrooms offered a hands-on learning environment for students. However, the pandemic has rendered in-person labs impractical, making it challenging for students to engage with faculty members directly. In the present scenario, the preference for remote education has surged due to safety concerns. With proper internet access, students now have the flexibility to conduct experiments from the comfort of their homes. Despite the inherent challenges associated with online learning, virtual labs serve as a valuable solution, addressing some of these issues. The utilization of simulation-based learning, especially in subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology, contributes significantly to students' comprehension of key concepts. Virtual labs play a pivotal role in fostering problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creativity, imagination, understanding of scientific processes, laboratory skills, as well as heightened interest and perception. Consequently, it becomes imperative for educators to integrate virtual labs into their teaching methodologies to enhance the quality of instruction and improve students' learning outcomes.

Thriving in foreign learning environments: The case of hands-on activities in early years of dental education.

Hands-on learning environments can challenge learners' wellbeing in dental education, given their unfamiliarity with students. As today's learners are more aware about their wellbeing needs, it is important to explore the depth and complexity of the challenges they experience and provide them with the necessary support strategies. This study aims to identify the challenges and sources of cognitive overload of early years' dental students across two time-points: 2012 and 2022. We also aim to describe the students' recommendations for future program revision considerations to support students' wellbeing. This study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitatively, we utilized an Interpretive Description approach and conducted focus groups with first-year dental students in 2023. Quantitively, we utilized first-year dental students' responses to the Study Habits survey administered in 2012/2013. Five main concerns and sources of cognitive load emerged from the focus groups and survey data: steepness of the learning curve, inconsistent feedback, stigma around asking for support, structural and organizational challenges, and lack of resources. Students also identified several suggestions to support their wellbeing, including time, instructor support, non-graded exercises, additional resources, and re-organizing the curriculum. This study adopts a wellbeing lens to examine students' transition into hands-on learning activities. These findings were utilized to propose the TIPSS Support Framework (Time, Instructor Capacity Building, Peer Learning and Other Resources, Safe Learning Spaces, and Spiraling Curriculum). The proposed model can serve as a prototype for future studies to explore its applicability and effectiveness in other dental programs.

WebHOLE: Developing a web-based hands-on learning environment to assist beginners in learning web application security

WebHOLE: Developing a web-based hands-on learning environment to assist beginners in learning web application security

The Impact of Project-Based and Experiential Learning Integration on Pre-Service Teacher Achievement in Evaluation and Assessment

The present study aimed to explore the effectiveness of integrating project-based learning (PBL) and experiential learning in fostering the evaluation and assessment skills of pre-service teachers. To assess the impact of this integration, a self-efficacy assessment form and evaluation of teacher performance, learning achievement and mentality aspects were employed. The findings of the study indicated that the integration of PBL and experiential learning yielded positive outcomes, enhancing the evaluation and assessment skills of pre-service teachers. This research contributes to the existing body of literature by providing empirical evidence supporting the potential of integrating PBL and experiential learning as an effective approach to augment pre-service teachers’ evaluation and assessment abilities. The study also underscores the significance of creating hands-on and collaborative learning environments within teacher education programmes. These results have significant implications for the design of future teaching strategies aimed at improving the evaluation and assessment skills of pre-service teachers. By incorporating PBL and experiential learning, teacher education programmes can create dynamic learning experiences that engage students in practical, real-world contexts. This approach encourages active participation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for effective evaluation and assessment practices. The study emphasises the importance of providing pre-service teachers with opportunities to apply their knowledge in authentic settings, fostering a deeper understanding of evaluation and assessment principles. By equipping pre-service teachers with these skills, they will be better prepared to meet the demands of the classroom and contribute to improved student learning outcomes.

Escape Rooms for Secondary Mathematics Education: Design and Experiments

Abstract Escape rooms are an increasingly popular form of live-action entertainment in which teams of players need to solve puzzles to escape or reach a narrative goal within a specified time limit. Current research suggests that this style of activity promotes the effective use of team skills in the classroom, which are desirable in the workplace, and also that students are more engaged in the hands-on learning environment. During this study we created a game designed to teach mathematical concepts related to finding missing side lengths in a right-angled triangle using trigonometry to secondary school students who had limited knowledge in this area. Our experiment tested the success of our escape room’s teaching capabilities through comparing student performance on a test completed immediately after finishing the game. We also evaluated whether students’ perception of the applicability of mathematics and their feelings towards studying it improves from playing. Finally, we intended to confirm the findings of other researchers on engagement; extend that to the effective use of team skills through examining if there is a relationship between completion time and the observed behaviours within each team. Results suggest that the game is successful in teaching and building familiarity with some aspects of the topic and that there is no correlation between effective team skills and completion time. We make suggestions for improvements to the game design that would warrant an additional experiment into the teaching potential of escape rooms.

"Fun slipping into the doctor's role"-The relationship between sonoanatomy teaching and professional identity formation before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The various psychological dimensions of professional identity formation (PIF) are an important aspect of the study course for undergraduate medical students. Anatomical learning environments have been repeatedly shown to play a critical role in forming such an identity; however, relevance of PIF during sonoanatomical training remains underexplored. At the end of their basic anatomy studies, third-semester medical students took part in a four-day block course on anatomy and imaging. Anatomical content was revised in small groups using peer teaching and imaging methods, including one hour of hands-on sonoanatomy sessions each day. On-site sonoanatomy was identified as an excellent format to support students' transition from the pre-clinical to clinical phase as medical experts-to-be. Students enjoyed practical exercises and the clinical input, which increased their interest in the medical profession and their academic studies. This study further examined the effects of the transition into an online-only format, necessitated by the current Covid-19 pandemic. A comparison was made between the quantitative and qualitative evaluation data, and the written results of examinations of several on-site (n=1096, mean age = 22.4years ± 2.18), and online-only cohorts (n=230, mean age = 22.6years ± 2.21). The online-only transition led to a reduction of all PIF-related variables measured, losing identity-related variables, increasing students' stress levels, and reducing their long-term academic performance. Together, this study demonstrates presence of PIF in undergraduate sonoanatomy teaching, and cautions against the uncritical online-only substitution of hands-on learning environments.

Effects of withholding answers coupled with physical manipulation on students’ learning of magnetism-related science content

ABSTRACT Background The question of the efficiency of withholding answers and the physical manipulation of material in science education has become the target of a large number of researchers (proponents of the Cognitive Load Theory) in recent years. However, no research has been found examining the contribution of these elements of teaching to the development of a deeper conceptual understanding and the retention of what has been learned in the scientific education of lower primary school students. Purpose This research aims to examine whether withholding answers coupled with physical manipulation of material contribute to developing a deeper conceptual understanding and retention of learning about magnetism-related content in a hands-on (HO) learning environment on higher-level cognitive skills. Sample The research involved N = 80 third graders (aged 9–10 years) from four classes of two primary schools from a smaller urban environment. Design and methods The research uses a quasi-experimental design. The convenience sampling method was used in the research. Students were assigned into the following groups: DIHO (direct instruction + experimenter demonstration of HO – no withholding answers + no physical manipulation) and IIHO (implicit instruction + independent student performance of HO – withholding answers + physical manipulation). Results The results of ANCOVA analysis show that the students in the IIHO group achieved a much deeper conceptual understanding and retention of what they learned about magnetism-related content at higher-level cognitive skill: I create when compared to the students in the DIHO group. Conclusion It is assumed that withholding answers coupled with physical manipulation of material, contribute to the higher motivation and additional engagement of students on a mental level, which triggers a germane cognitive load, which is essential for productive learning.

Innovative Management of Nursing Student COVID-19 Cases and High-Risk Exposures.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created significant disruption in higher education, especially in health science colleges where in-person and hands-on patient-facing learning environments are essential. Student monitoring and follow-up was an essential aspect of in-person learning for the fall 2020 semester. Senior leaders and faculty in a college of nursing developed and implemented an innovative college-based COVID-19 management system to ensure real-time response to prolonged pandemic-related student absences. Decisions made from this management system allowed leaders within the college to implement programmatic changes to ensure student and faculty well-being. Furthermore, the COVID-19 management system allowed for close student follow-up through phone calls with a faculty member to ensure student well-being. Monitoring helped ensure appropriate physical and mental health services were accessible to students undergoing quarantine or self-isolation while also fostering positive student satisfaction throughout their prolonged absences. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(4):217-220.].

Learn&Fly: engaging students in STEM via aeronautics

Learn&Fly is an Erasmus+ project aimed to demystify and to crack STEM subjects to youngsters by showing their importance and application in aeronautics. Concepts in physics and maths are explained by engagement in the construction of an aircraft, aimed to compete in a flight contest. Students must envisage, design, draw and calculate the craft, simulate its flight, make necessary design adjustments, and build it. In its first year the project attracted 121 students, between 17-21 years old; 19.5% were girls. Students work on the glider was accompanied by lectures in physics, materials, and technologies. A questionnaire was used to quantify students’ perception on project usefulness. Results show that students considered the project to be effective in improving STEM skills and career awareness, and very effective in improving soft skills. This is expected to result from the stimulating, hands-on STEM learning environment that provided access to contents, tools, and activities not usually available to high school students from the partaking countries.

Affluent Effluent: Visualizing the invisible during the development of an algal bloom using systems dynamics modelling and augmented reality technology

Eutrophication causes structural changes to the ecosystem of a water body such as increased production of algae and aquatic plants, depletion of fish species, and a general deterioration of water quality. We discuss the development of an Augmented Reality (AR) application (App) based on a generalised system dynamics model of chemical and biological processes involved in the development of algal blooms. The objective was to generate user-based decision-making scenarios that could be visualised in real-time ‘to see what cannot be seen in real life’, for agricultural and environmental management training. Visualisation of the modelled processes is an important part of enhancing learning outcomes. This was achieved by transposing the system dynamics (SD) model into C# and the game engine Unity for the development of a hands-on learning environment through an AR App called Affluent Effluent on the Microsoft platform ‘Hololens’. Conceptual and technological challenges and solutions associated with the App development are discussed, as is a brief evaluation.

Leveraging Collaborative Mobile Learning Instructional Pedagogy in The Era of COVID-19

One way of ensuring gender equality in science education is by mainstreaming gender components into the pedagogical delivery of science instruction. Thus, the researchers in this study designed a Gender Responsive Collaborative Learning Strategy (GR-CLS) based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The effectiveness of this instructional paradigm on students' achievement and attitude was determined in a mixed factorial quasi-experimental research design study conducted in a virtual and hands-on laboratory learning environment. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a total sample of 218 secondary school students from same sex and mixed sex schools. The six hypotheses formulated in the study were tested using Means and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Empirical findings revealed a significant difference in the mean achievement and attitude scores of both male and female students who were exposed to GR-CLS under virtual and hands-on laboratory environment respectively compared to those who were not exposed to GR-CLS. These results indicate that GR-CLS is an effective pedagogical strategy for improving students' achievement and attitude regardless of gender. Nevertheless, it was discovered that GR-CLS leads to a significant improvement in the achievement of students from same sex schools over mixed sex schools. The study, therefore, recommends the adoption of GR-CLS by science teachers in the planning and implementation of science lessons to create equal opportunities for both male and female students to benefit maximally from learning activities carried out in the laboratory.

Developing Students’ Curiosity Through Chemistry Hands-on Activities: A Case of Selected Community Secondary Schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Curiosity is the inner drive for learning or ‘hunger for learning’ which is among the twenty-first-century learning competencies. Students in their earliest stage ought to exhibit curiosity to stir-up knowledge acquisition and exploration, yet the development of curiosity in the context of education is considered to be unusual. This research assesses how chemistry students develop and express curiosity in a hands-on learning environment. A sample of 169 senior three students from three community secondary schools in Dar es Salaam was involved in this study. Besides, the study examined how hands-on activities in chemistry lessons can be incorporated as a pedagogical practice to foster students’ curiosity. The study employed a convergent mixed method design in (QUAL+quant) form following a pragmatic stance. We used lesson observations, interviews, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to gather qualitative data while quantitative data were obtained through the Students’ Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SSRQ) and Teacher Rating Scale (TRS). It was revealed that hands-on activities can successfully be used when teachers share success criteria and learning intentions of a particular lesson. The overall results showed a significant increase in students’ curiosity due to the implementation of hands-on activities as an instructional strategy. In this perspective, we advocate for hands-on activities to be used frequently in chemistry lesson sessions and more studies should be done further on students’ curiosity in the field of education.

Pharmacy Students as Volunteer Medical Staff for American Diabetes Association Summer Camp

For children living with a diagnosis of diabetes, com-munity support and education about proper disease management are critical for the mental and physical health of the child and their family. The experiences offered at summer camps hosted by the American Diabetes Association address both of these needs for the pediatric diabetes community. These camps provide children with the opportunity to participate in a traditional camp experience—swimming, rock climbing, tubing, and more—while giving parents peace of mind in the knowledge that their child’s diabetes will be closely monitored by a team of health care professionals. During my time as volunteer medical staff at the American Diabetes Association’s Camp John Warvel, I was given the unique opportunity to put into practice the topics taught in my pharmacy curriculum in a hands-on learning environment. As part of the camp medical staff, I was responsible for adjusting insulin doses, checking blood sugar levels, and treating episodes of low or high blood sugar. While campers were given the opportunity to make friends and learn about how to manage their diabetes, I was able to supplement areas of my education with real-world applications of content from my clinical courses. Camp John Warvel is a prime example of the incredible benefit that a service-learning experience can have for a student, particularly in a health care profession. I left Camp John Warvel with a rejuvenated passion for my profession that helped sustain me through my remaining years of school. I returned to my classes at Purdue with improved retention of my diabetes knowledge after using that information in a hands-on setting. My campers went home having formed lifelong friendships and a better understanding of diabetes management, with their eyes excitedly set on coming back to camp again next year.

Utilization of computational techniques and tools to introduce or reinforce knowledge of biochemistry and protein structure–function relationships

Utilization of computational techniques and tools to introduce or reinforce knowledge of biochemistry and protein <scp>structure–function</scp> relationships

Using gender responsive collaborative learning strategy to improve students achievement and attitude towards learning science in virtual and hands-on laboratory environment

One way of ensuring gender equality in science education is by mainstreaming gender components into the pedagogical delivery of science instruction. Thus, the researchers in this study designed a Gender Responsive Collaborative Learning Strategy (GR-CLS) based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The effectiveness of this instructional paradigm on students’ achievement and attitude was determined in a mixed factorial quasi-experimental research design study conducted in a virtual and hands-on laboratory learning environment. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a total sample of 218 secondary school students from same sex and mixed sex schools. The six hypotheses formulated in the study were tested using Means and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Empirical findings revealed a significant difference in the mean achievement and attitude scores of both male and female students who were exposed to GR-CLS under virtual and hands-on laboratory environment respectively compared to those who were not exposed to GR-CLS. These results indicate that GR-CLS is an effective pedagogical strategy for improving students’ achievement and attitude regardless of gender. Nevertheless, it was discovered that GR-CLS leads to a significant improvement in the achievement of students from same sex schools over mixed sex schools. The study, therefore, recommends the adoption of GR-CLS by science teachers in the planning and implementation of science lessons to create equal opportunities for both male and female students to benefit maximally from learning activities carried out in the laboratory.

Reinforcing Cardiology Training During a Pandemic: An Open Letter to Our Leaders.

Reinforcing Cardiology Training During a Pandemic: An Open Letter to Our Leaders.

Assessing Differences between Three Virtual General Chemistry Experiments and Similar Hands-On Experiments

To date, the efficacy of virtual experiments is not well-understood. To better understand what differences may exist between a hands-on learning environment and a virtual learning environment, three experiments were chosen for investigation. For each experiment, approximately half of the students completed a hands-on version of the experiment, and the other half completed a virtual version. After completing the given experiment, students were compared on the following: their ability to meet the learning objectives for that experiment, their responses to six affective scales, and their grade on a laboratory report. Differences were found for four learning objectives. Two of these learning objectives were on the Beer’s law experiment and the other two were on the titration experiment whereas the calorimetry experiment had no differences between groups on learning objectives. However, all four differences are likely due to differences in procedures between environments and not due to the environment itself. Additionally, differences were found on two of the affective scales (usefulness of lab and equipment usability) across all three experiments indicating that the students who completed a virtual experiment found the experiment to be less useful and the virtual environment harder to use. Students that completed the virtual version of the titration experiment also reported that the experiment took less time as indicated by the difference in the open-endedness of the lab scale. These differences are not representative of a students’ individual experience, however. To capture individual experiences, latent profile analysis was conducted to determine what affective profiles existed within the population. There were three common profiles identified across the three experiments: low affective outcomes, medium affective outcomes, and high affective outcomes. These indicate that while a majority of the students have medium or high affective outcomes and do well on laboratory reports, there are anywhere from 4% to 17% of the students completing a given experiment that have low affective outcomes but still do equally well on the laboratory report as compared to the other students. Future work should be conducted to assess why students report low affective outcomes and if a different type of laboratory learning environment or curriculum type would better serve them.

An Entrepreneurship Venture for Training K–12 Teachers to Use Engineering as a Context for Learning

In this paper, the authors present their experiences from participating in a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps L training program established for business startups, using Blank’s Lean LaunchPad, Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas, and associated tools. They used the entrepreneurial skills acquired through this training to scale-up their emerging innovation, the Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Math and Science Program (CEEMS), which had been developed, implemented, and evaluated with successful results over a period of seven years in a targeted 14 school-district partnership in Greater Cincinnati. The overriding goal was to improve student learning and success rates in K–12 math and science courses by helping to accelerate the process of bringing effective educational innovation, CEEMS, to scale. In CEEMS, teachers were trained in using challenge-based learning (CBL) and the engineering design process (EDP), teaching pedagogies to transform their classrooms into student-centered, hands-on learning environments, while also assisting students to improve their evaluation scores related to science, math, and engineering instruction. CEEMS teachers acquired the necessary skills through coursework, professional development (PD) workshops, and longitudinal professional guidance provided by assigned coaches over a period of two years to become proficient in developing CBL–EDP curriculum, teaching it, and assessing student learning and reflecting after teaching. The authors have documented how they used customer market research conducted during the I-Corps L training to define their minimum viable product (MVP) to duplicate the successful CEEMS methodology through a condensed (≤16 week) self-paced, completely online training program with virtual coaching support. The authors also describe the process they used to move forward very quickly from an MVP to a more complete product offering, its branding, the process of trademarking it, and finally licensing it to an established non-profit organization (NPO) for future marketing. Details of the whole experience are presented with the hope that it will serve as a useful guide for other venture creators.

Makerspaces Across Settings: Didactic Design for Programming in Formal and Informal Teacher Education in the Nordic Countries

For education to provide knowledge reflecting our current and future society, many countries are revising their curricula, including a vivid discussion on digital competence, programming and computational thinking. This article builds an understanding of the maker movement in relation to education in programming, by demonstrating challenges and possibilities in the interface between Makerspaces and teacher education. Three different Nordic initiatives are presented and their designs for learning are analysed. The article illustrates how Makerspaces and teacher education can be transformed by each other; how Makerspaces can be used in programming activities and what challenges and possibilities emerge in the meeting between the two. The results highlight a core aspect of the maker movement: authenticity. Designs for learning have different levels of authenticity, but in all cases authenticity has been a positive factor. These hands-on learning environments are designed to foster collaboration, share ideas and innovation with people from different backgrounds to transform and form multimodal representations together. In the interface between the formal and informal a potential for inclusion and creation of spaces that reach individuals from different backgrounds is found. Mobile learning is a phenomenon that the making movement together with teacher education can make use of, at for example practice schools, university campuses, mobile Makerspaces or “open-door”-approaches. In the digital environment learning is distributed, but collaboration between formal and informal education is so far complicated to establish, meaning that the academy needs to find more creative and flexible ways of making connections outside the academy.

Effect of virtual analytical chemistry laboratory on enhancing student research skills and practices

This article aims to determine the effect of a virtual chemistry laboratory on university student achievement. The article describes a model of a laboratory course that includes a virtual component. This virtual component is viewed as a tool of student pre-lab autonomous learning. It presents electronic resources designed for a virtual laboratory and outlines the methodology of e-resource application. To find out how virtual chemistry laboratory affects student scientific literacy, research skills and practices, a pedagogical experiment has been conducted. Student achievement was compared in two learning environments: traditional – in-class hands-on – learning (control group) and blended learning – online learning combined with in-person learning (experimental group). The effectiveness of integrating an e-lab in the laboratory study was measured by comparing student lab reports of the two groups. For that purpose, a set of 10 criteria was developed. The experimental and control student groups were also compared in terms of test results and student portfolios. The study showed that the adopted approach blending both virtual and hands-on learning environments has the potential to enhance student research skills and practices in analytical chemistry studies. Published: 4 December 2017 Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2017, 25 : 1968 - http://dx.doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v25.1968