Use Of Virtual Laboratories Research Articles

The Effect of Using Virtual Laboratories Using the Guided Discovery Learning Model on Students' Conceptual Understanding of Static Electricity Material

This study aims to test or examine the effect of the use of virtual laboratories using the Guided Discovery Learning model on students' conceptual understanding abilities in static electricity material. This type of research is a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group research design. The population in this study were all students of class XII of SMAN 1 Monta. The sampling technique used in this study was purposive sampling with class XII MIPA 2 consisting of 28 students as the experimental class and class XII MIPA 1 consisting of 28 students as the control class. Before and after the treatment, both classes were given a conceptual understanding ability test in the form of essay questions that had previously been tested for their feasibility with validity, reliability, difficulty level of questions, and discriminatory power. The results of the initial test (Pretest) and final test (Posttest) of conceptual understanding ability were analyzed for homogeneity and normality to conduct a hypothesis test. The analysis of the hypothesis test using the t-test obtained a t_count of 3.49 and a t_table of 2.00. Thus, the calculated t_value is greater than the t_table, so H_0 is rejected and H_a is accepted, so it can be concluded that there is an influence of the use of virtual laboratories using the Guided Discovery Learning model on students' conceptual understanding abilities in static electricity material.

Understanding Virtual Laboratories in Engineering Education: A Systematic Literature Review

<div class="WordSection1"><p>Engineering education has gained significant importance in the 21st century due to its integration of essential technological literacy needed in our rapidly changing world. Laboratories, including virtual laboratories, allow students to apply theoretical knowledge practically. Virtual laboratories have emerged as innovative tools that offer increased accessibility and flexibility. This study reviewed 29 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus and published between 2018 and 2023 on the use of virtual laboratories in engineering education. The research employed a systematic literature review framework, utilizing PRISMA for article selection. The findings indicate that virtual laboratories provide numerous benefits, including cost-effectiveness, flexibility, safety, and accessibility. They boost student motivation, engagement, and the ability to apply knowledge while effectively enhancing conceptual understanding and practical skills. Virtual laboratories support the development of pedagogical skills and promote careers in engineering by offering a comprehensive and inclusive learning environment. Despite these advantages, challenges like limited interactivity, restricted content, and technical issues persist. Virtual laboratories are valuable supplements to traditional laboratories, providing an economical means to explore phenomena and offering a safe space for experimentation. Educators should consider the benefits and limitations of integrating virtual laboratories into their curriculum. This study aims to deepen the understanding of virtual laboratories in engineering education, advocating for their broader adoption as an innovative tool with a positive impact.</p></div>

Teachers’ Experiences with the Use of Virtual Laboratories in the Teaching of Physics in Rwandan Secondary Schools: A Survey Design

Laboratory experimentation providing students with hands-on experiences can greatly enhance the teaching and learning of physics. However, traditional hands-on laboratories are very expensive, limiting the possibilities for practical activities. In addition, limited time for laboratory practices prevents teachers and students from conducting laboratory activities properly. A possible solution to these limitations could be the use of virtual laboratories (VLs). The present study was conducted to explore the availability of teaching resources to support experimental work, the use of these resources including VLs and the challenges teachers face in using VLs. An online survey with 107 secondary school physics teachers was used to collect data. The study is framed by the Concerns-Based Adoption Model for teacher use of curriculum innovations. Regarding VLs, a mere 6% of teachers reported regular use, revealing a significant gap in adoption. Challenges identified included a lack of awareness, limited information and communications technology tools and insufficient supporting resources. Cross-item analysis revealed that only 25% of 107 teachers reported having a well-equiped physics laboratory, 45% work without a physics laboratory but with science kits or improvised materials, while 30% have no access to a physics laboratory, science kits or improvised local materials. Thus, for teachers without access to a physics laboratory, science kits or improvised local materials, VLs represent a crucial opportunity to provide learners with a complete laboratory experience. The study recommends tailoring continuing professional development support to address teachers’ concerns regarding the use of VLs. This includes enhancing awareness and providing information for teachers without access to well-equipped physics laboratories, while addressing management concerns for those with or without such resources.

The Reality of Using Virtual Labs in Teaching at the University of Jordan from the Viewpoint of Faculty Members

This study aimed to identify the reality of using virtual laboratories in teaching at the University of Jordan from the Viewpoint of faculty members, and the effect of variables: college, academic rank, gender, and years of experience on the reality of faculty members’ use of virtual laboratories in teaching. The study population and its sample consisted of all faculty members who teach courses that include practical credits in the faculties of Engineering & Science at the University of Jordan. To achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire consisting of (23) items was developed and then distributed -after verifying its validity and reliability- to the study sample in the second semester of 2020/2021. The results showed that the level of using virtual laboratories in teaching was medium. Further, they indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the means of the estimates of the members of the study sample due to the variables of college, academic rank, gender, and years of experience.

FEATURES OF ORGANIZING STEAM EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS USING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Formulation of the problem. The rapid development of technologies in the modern world opens up new horizons for education. Integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) holds particular significance as a transformative approach, fostering interdisciplinary learning and preparing students for the challenges of a knowledge-based and digitized society. The transition from a traditional approach to STEAM education becomes even more captivating with the incorporation of immersive technologies. This direction, merging technical and creative aspects, requires an innovative approach to the organization of educational projects, considering the new opportunities and challenges presented by virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Materials and methods. To achieve the goal of our research, we used the following methods: systematic and comparative analysis of pedagogical, psychological, philosophical, and sociological works, methodic literature, and analysis of the pedagogical experience of using immersive technologies to organize STEAM projects at school; synthesis and generalization to formulate the main provisions of the study; interviews and questionnaires of teachers regarding their understanding and attitude to immersive technologies as a means of implementing STEAM projects at school; interpretation of research results. We analyzed 18 scientific sources, including 14 Scopus-indexed articles, two reports (the educational report from Horizon 2020 and the "State of the Industry Report" from the XR Association), and two scientific studies by Ukrainian researchers. Eighty-seven teachers participated in interviews and surveys conducted through Google Forms. Results. Creating and organizing a STEAM educational project using immersive technologies involves the following teacher actions: forming a project name by the student's learning goals, educational content, and the project result as its product; creating a reference project; determining the subject, topic, age of students, project preparation time, learning time, essential immersive technologies; forming the purpose of the first lesson and project tasks to immerse and motivate students about the project; identifying problematic issues that should reflect the actual context or problem. We have characterized teachers' attitudes towards immersive technologies when organizing and conducting such projects. Based on the study's results, we have identified the features of organizing STEAM projects using immersive technologies: expanding the field of creativity with AR and VR, immersion in scientific concepts and conducting experiments through the use of virtual laboratories, visualizing abstract ideas through the use of augmented reality, interacting with technology through mixed reality projects, and teamwork in immersive environments. Conclusions. Immersive technologies in STEAM education have advantages (e.g., gaining practical experience, forming interdisciplinary connections through interdisciplinary learning, cooperation, communication, adaptive environment, and request for creativity) in teaching.

Virtual Laboratory and Self-Efficacy in Optimizing Problem-Solving Skills: A Case in Applied Chemistry Learning in Vocational College

Virtual Laboratory and Self-Efficacy in Optimizing Problem-Solving Skills: A Case in Applied Chemistry Learning in Vocational College

Using Virtual Laboratory to Improve Student's Critical Thinking Ability in Learning Chemistry in High School

Education in the digital era requires innovation in the use of technology as a learning medium that can improve student’s critical thinking skills. One of the promising technologies is the virtual laboratory, which can be used as a medium of learning in chemistry lessons in senior high schools. This study aims to present an overview of the use of virtual laboratories to improve students' critical thinking skills in high school chemistry learning. In this study, an analysis of relevant literature was carried out to identify the benefits and potential of virtual laboratories in chemistry learning. The results of the study show that the use of a virtual laboratory can effectively improve student’s critical thinking skills in high school chemistry learning. Virtual laboratories can help students to develop skills in analyzing, evaluating and interpreting information in a chemical context, as well as increasing their understanding of concepts and problem-solving skills. To optimize the use of virtual laboratories in chemistry learning in high school, good planning, development and implementation is required, as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of using virtual laboratories. This research is expected to provide insights and recommendations for educational practitioners, especially in the development of chemistry learning that is innovative and oriented towards students' critical thinking skills.

Technology Empowerment in Learning: Student Perspective Study on Virtual Laboratory to Support Independent Learning in Independent Campus

Virtual laboratory is one of the solutions that can be used for practical or experimental activities in the context of independent learning on an independent campus, which is carried out outside the laboratory, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in practice, there are several obstacles so the use of virtual laboratories has not been massive. This study aims to analyze the student’s perspective on the virtual laboratory in forcing conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research method uses a survey with a questionnaire technique to capture the perspectives of students of the Biology Education Study Program at one of the universities in West Java. The perspectives studied include innovation, urgency, usefulness, and motivation which are grouped into positive and negative perspectives. The results showed that most of the students had a positive perspective on the virtual laboratory by 81.64%, and a negative perspective of 18.36%. Among the four indicators, motivation is the smallest positive perspective although it is larger than the negative perspective. This research can give the conclusion that the virtual laboratory needs to be continuously developed along with the improvement of students’ technological skills or literacy.
 Keywords: technology empowerment, student perspective study, virtual laboratory, independent learning

Virtual Laboratories in STEM Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Synthetic learning environments like virtual laboratories are increasingly used in pedagogical practice across the landscape of higher education, in both professional and non-professional study programs. Virtual laboratories are simulations of experiments or other hands-on activities that allow students to explore scientific concepts and principles in a virtual environment. These simulations can be used to supplement or replace traditional laboratory experiences on campus, providing students with a flexible and convenient way to learn and engage with the laboratory as a context for work. The conceptual and theoretical foundations of these simulations, however, are still poorly understood. This study provides a scoping review of the literature on how virtual laboratories are conceptualized in STEM higher education, and the ideas, principles and presuppositions that inform and sustain research on virtual laboratories in STEM. By searching through databases (n = 7) for peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 2012 and 2023, focusing on the use of virtual laboratories in STEM higher education, a selection of articles (n = 23) was identified as relevant for the study aim and subjected to thematic analysis and narrative synthesis. The results add to our knowledge from previous systematic reviews of studies on virtual laboratories in STEM higher education, particularly by identifying common characteristics between various definitions of virtual laboratories. Moreover, the review identifies three theoretical traditions influencing work on virtual laboratories for STEM in higher education. While this highlights a field of research committed to evidence-informed pedagogy and instructional effectiveness, it also points to a lack of descriptive, qualitative research that systematically investigates everyday instructional practices with virtual laboratories in STEM-education in naturalistic contexts. Further studies on what happens in such settings would be valuable for informing future theorizing about virtual laboratories in STEM.

Implementation of Virtual Laboratory of Electronic Commerce Into University Course

Plenty of information and communication technologies are frequently employed in educational activities to improve the opportunities for students to gain knowledge and experience, including the virtual laboratory. The virtual laboratory is quite often implemented into educational process in many science, technology, and engineering courses at the university level of education. However, the use of virtual laboratory in the field of electronic commerce education is rather rare. In our educational practice, a virtual laboratory of electronic commerce was designed and implemented within the course of electronic entrepreneurship. This paper presents the design of the virtual laboratory of electronic commerce and provides an outline of its integration into the university course's teaching process. The study examines the learning progress claimed by the students who participated in the most current edition of the course delivered utilizing this virtual laboratory. The findings revealed improvement of course participants' experience and abilities in the field of electronic entrepreneurship in e-commerce.

A Virtual Laboratory for Control System Engineering

The use of virtual laboratory is becoming increasingly common. These virtual laboratories are beneficial in such situations when practical laboratories are inaccessible or when there is lack of expensive hardware equipment. This paper presents a virtual Control System Laboratory that can be used in Electrical Engineering education for undergraduate students and researchers. A set of experiments have been introduced that have been developed using free-open-source-software (Hyper Text Markup Language 5 (HTML5), Cascading Style Sheets 3 (CSS3), and JavaScript) and uploaded into web for remote access. The case studies of these experiments are presented. This laboratory can be accessed in (http://vlabs.iitkgp.ac.in/psac/newlabs2024/ctrl/).

БІЛІМ БЕРУ САЛАСЫНДА ВИРТУАЛДЫ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯЛАРДЫ ҚОЛДАНУ ӨЗЕКТІЛІГІ

This article discusses the relevance of using virtual technologies, namely virtual reality (VR) technologies and virtual laboratories, and identifies scientists who have conducted research in this area. In addition, the article reviewed laboratories for the implementation of virtual online experience in the modern field of knowledge. The advantages and disadvantages of using virtual laboratories in training are given. Purpose: Organization of educational programs in accordance with modern requirements and improvement of motivation and focus of students, training of competitive specialists. Objectives: To study and analyze the state and relevance of the use of virtual technologies in the field of education. As a general discussion, the reflections of a number of Russian scientists on virtual laboratories are given. The influence of virtual laboratories on the direction of improving the cognitive process of students is described. The structure of a virtual laboratory created by scientists is proposed, using the example of which the stages of creating such innovative and large-scale software complexes based on virtual technologies are shown. The conditions and status of the use of virtual technologies in the universities of our country were determined. The possibilities of using virtual technologies in the field of education are revealed. The basics of using virtual reality as a teaching tool used in education are presented. The world's research on virtual reality conducted in recent years was cited. A survey was conducted at universities in Kazakhstan in order to determine the level of use of virtual laboratories and appropriate conclusions were drawn based on the results of the survey.

Student experiences with a molecular biotechnology course containing an interactive 3D immersive simulation and its impact on motivational beliefs.

The development and use of virtual laboratories to augment traditional in-person skills training continues to grow. Virtual labs have been implemented in a number of diverse educational settings, which have many purported benefits including their adaptability, accessibility, and repeatability. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of virtual laboratories outside of academic achievement and skills competencies, especially in biotechnology. In this study, an interdisciplinary team of content experts, video game researchers, instructional designers, and assessment experts developed a 3D immersive simulation designed to teach novice scientists the technical skills necessary to perform sterile mammalian cell culture technique. Unique to the simulation development process is the recreation of an immersive experience through the capture of details in the real-world lab where participants have the freedom of choice in their actions, while receiving immediate feedback on their technical skills as well as procedural execution. However, unlike an in-person laboratory course, students are able to iterate and practice their skills outside of class time and learn from their mistakes. Over the course of two semesters, we used a mixed-methods study design to evaluate student attitudes towards the simulation and their science motivational beliefs. Students' self-efficacy and science identity were assessed after engaging with the simulation prior to the physical laboratory. Our results show that students' science identity remained unchanged while their science self-efficacy increased. Furthermore, students had positive perceptions of the benefits of the virtual simulation. These data suggest that the virtual cell culture simulation can be a useful pedagogical training tool to support students' motivational beliefs that is both accessible and easy to implement.

Sanal Laboratuvarların Fen Eğitiminde Kullanımıyla İlgili 2013-2022 Yılları Arasındaki Çalışmaların İncelenmesi

This study is a systematic review that is composed of the analysis of several international studies on the use of virtual laboratories in science education that were selected based on certain criteria. Research data have been attained by reviewing studies that concern virtual laboratories. For this systematic review, 1322 scientific articles published in the Web of Science database between 2013 and 2022, with the keyword "virtual laboratory" in their titles or abstracts, were reviewed. An article review form was used as the tool for collecting data. In determining the papers to be included in the study, the criterion sampling method was used. The sample of the study consists of 30 papers which comply with the inclusion criteria and were accessible in full text. Descriptive and content analyses were used in this systematic review. The studies on virtual laboratories are presented via descriptive analysis on the basis of their distribution by years, distribution by subject fields, distribution by participant levels, distribution by group sizes, methods and patterns, data collection tools, and frequencies of data analysis types. The results of virtual laboratories that these studies acquired were grouped via content analysis under codes, categories, and themes. When the results achieved by these studies are evaluated as a whole, it becomes clear that virtual laboratory applications positively impact science education with respect to different variables.

Virtual Laboratories in the Teaching of Mechanical Technology

Abstract The aim of this article is to familiarise the reader with the issue of virtual laboratories and to demonstrate their possible use on a concrete example. This example deals with the use of virtual laboratories in the teaching of mechanical engineering in high schools and universities. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in the teaching process and its organisation. In this period, teaching usually took place online, which was implemented using resources such as Google Classroom or MS Teams. This article presents a sample task -a project on which students of the second and third year of study at a secondary technical school are working. The project has an interdisciplinary character, because during its implementation students apply and further develop skills and knowledge from several subjects, namely physics, mechanics, chemistry and CAD design. The project is dedicated to the design of a pulley casting for a steel rope.

Evaluation of the program for modeling and implementation of a virtual laboratory for solid-state electronics

During the Covid 19 pandemic, the teaching and learning process, especially in practical courses which were initially face-to-face, turned online. This change had several impacts on lectures, especially in terms of learning outcomes and the quality of graduates in terms of skills. Therefore, it is very necessary to carry out an evaluation of this learning process using the CIPP model developed by Stufflebeam. This evaluation model aims to find out how effective the use of virtual laboratories is in learning practical courses online. This research is evaluative research using a qualitative descriptive approach. Where the data used in this study is qualitative data with analytical methods. The technique used in this study is to examine existing data using grounded research methods. From the results of this study, there is the largest percentage, namely the use of virtual laboratories has been quite effective in online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the improvement and development of media and learning models that are more innovative and creative. In addition, efforts in skills that directly deal with equipment still need to be fulfilled in real laboratories to increase enrichment and deeper understanding and skills in work procedures in the world of work later.

Physics laboratory work using cloud technologies

The article describes the structure and content of the physics textbook «Laboratory work using cloud technologies» for students of vocational higher education institutions. The importance of modernizing the educational process in physics in general and approaches to conducting laboratory work in particular using the methods of modern information and communication and cloud technologies are analyzed. The importance and advantages of digitization of the educational process in physics through the use of cloud services, virtual laboratory works, simulators, mobile applications, flash animations, etc. are substantiated. The theoretical and practical blocks of the manual are described in detail. The theoretical unit is represented by three sections and is filled with didactic and methodical materials that contain recommendations, advice and rules for organizing, preparing and conducting a physical experiment. The practical unit of the manual is represented by one section «Laboratory works», which presents instructions for seven laboratory works. A feature of such works is the use of virtual laboratories, simulators, and cloud environments for testing physical laws, researching physical phenomena, and determining physical quantities. The article provides an example of instructions for laboratory work «Determining the index of refraction of light at the boundary of separation of two media». The research presented in this experiment is carried out using the «Refraction of Light» physical simulator of the website Phet.colorado.edu - the website of the University of Colorado. The process of measuring the refractive index of light at the boundary between two media is described in detail and step by step. The order of performing some tasks is illustrated by the corresponding screen images of the «Refraction of Light» physics simulator. The materials for surveying and monitoring the educational achievements of students are given, among which three directions of questions and tasks are singled out for the didactic purpose: to check the assimilation of knowledge, to check the formation of skills and abilities, to check the formation of beliefs. This manual has been tested in groups of students of the humanitarian profile of institutions of vocational pre-higher education. At the All-Ukrainian competition «Pedagogical OSCAR – 2023», the manual won the 2nd place in the nomination «Innovative approaches to the organization of practical training of students of vocational pre-university education».

Keefektifan Penggunaan Virtual Lab Terhadap Penguasaan Konsep Materi Fisika Modern

The effectiveness of the Physics learning process, especially in higher education, will be good if the implementation is able to emphasize the process, because the quality of the process will determine learning outcomes. Practicum is very important in order to support learning and emphasize the process aspect. This is based on the aim of learning as a process, namely improving thinking skills, the teaching and learning process using a virtual laboratory can stimulate students to be more active in participating in teaching and learning activities. The class atmosphere became more lively and students were more enthusiastic in participating in the learning process. The purpose of this study was to see student perceptions of the use of virtual laboratories for modern physics topics.

Technology-enhanced learning through virtual laboratories in chemistry education

This research studied the impact of integrating virtual laboratories in chemistry lessons among 22 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in a Bachelor of Education program, focusing on middle and high school science. These participants were systematically divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group. Both groups engaged in the same organic chemistry lesson and subsequent lab session, the only difference being that EG received additional training via a virtual laboratory prior to the hands-on lab session. A survey, conducted both before and after the experiment, was utilized to measure participants’ attitudes towards the use of virtual laboratories. The quantitative data analysis revealed a significant positive shift in EG’s attitudes post-intervention, suggesting that virtual laboratory experiences enhance their learning and engagement. Specifically, participants exhibited improved understanding of the educational methodologies and heightened engagement during the physical lab work. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups concerning the technical aspects of the experiments, implying that the virtual labs’ impact on perspectives about the technical components of a chemistry lab was consistent across both groups. These findings support the view of virtual laboratories as a viable supporting tool for science education, promoting technology integration into teaching practices to meet the demands of 21<sup>st</sup> century learning outcomes. This research concludes with recommendations for future studies to explore further the implications of virtual labs on various aspects of science education.

Preliminary Study of Development of Chemical Equilibrium E-Module Integrated Virtual Laboratory for High School Students

The use of technology is essential in the twenty-first century, and this includes education. To reduce time and space constraints, educators and students need electronic-based learning materials. E-module is one type of alternate learning medium that can be employed. In order to produce e-modules on chemical equilibrium content, this project will investigate electronic-based learning materials. Since the subject of chemical equilibrium is abstract, students have a hard time grasping its notion. It is anticipated that the use of virtual laboratories and e-modules in chemical equilibrium learning materials will boost students’ competency and independence. To enable students to learn whenever and wherever they are, learning resources in the form of an integrated virtual laboratory e-module are therefore required. Students from SMAN 1 Padangsidimpuan, SMAN 5 Padangsidimpuan, and SMAS Nurul Ilmi Padangsidimpuan made up the research sample for this study, which employed a quantitative descriptive methodology. Needs analysis, idea analysis, and literature review were the three types of analysis used in this study. The methods used to acquire the data were observation, questionnaires, interviews, and relevant document research. The study’s findings point to a variety of issues with the learning process, particularly those that surround the choice of instructional tactics and laboratory experimentation. The findings of this study are anticipated to serve as the foundation for the creation of online modules and attempts to enhance senior high school chemistry instruction.