Evaluation of Virtual Workspace Laboratory: Cloud Communication and Collaborative Work on Project-Based Laboratory

Abstract

This study evaluated the success or failure of using Virtual Workspace (VW) in a project-based physics laboratory. This study uses a qualitative approach with 4E evaluation methods: educational effectiveness, ease of use, involvement, and environment. Data were collected through a questionnaire to evaluate the implementation and practical functions of the VW CCCW. In addition, data were also collected using interview techniques to find out how the perceptions of students and instructors or lecturers during project-based physics practicums apply VW CCCW. The sample of this study consisted of 126 respondents consisting of 104 prospective physics teacher students, 12 lecturers of basic physics courses, and ten laboratory instructors representing public and private teacher education universities in Aceh. The evaluation findings show that VW has been successfully implemented and tested. The use of virtual workspaces as a tool in practical work is very effective in training 4C skills. Therefore, as an implication in the 4.0 revolution era, virtual workspaces in practicum can be a new way to work collaboratively with task management, creative action plans, communication and problem solving, critical thinking and completing projects, and practicum performance evaluation and assessment.

Online collaborative tools for science education: Boosting learning outcomes, motivation, and engagement

“…In Turkey, the rapid advancement of digitization in education, driven by the initiation of multiple large‐scale technological projects such as FATIH Project (Increasing Opportunities and Technological Improvement Movement) over the past two decades targeting the enhancement of K‐12 education, has fostered a growing interest in the implications of online collaboration tools on student learning (Kurt et al, 2022). While the interest in utilizing online collaboration tools is growing in Turkey, and numerous studies have confirmed their effectiveness across various educational fields (e.g., Firmansyah et al, 2022; Müller, 2023; Park et al, 2023), the empirical evidence demonstrating their efficacy in science education remains limited (e.g., Abdillah et al, 2021; Gerard et al, 2022; Salta et al, 2022). To the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies conducted in Turkey regarding the use of online collaboration tools in science education.…”

Online physics practicum supported by wireless sensor network

“…The transformation of the practicum system during the pandemic is a challenge for lecturers to design practicum activities that are creative, intelligent, and fun [12]. Lecturers must also ensure that the online physics practicum system must meet the demands of the curriculum and the nature of science itself.…”