The Effectiveness of Using Virtual Experiments on Students’ Learning in the General Physics Lab

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the effectiveness of using virtual experiments on students’ level of achievement and on their practical skills as well as their views on applying the virtual experiments in a general physics lab. Background: There is a continuous debate in the literature on the effect of using virtual experiments/ lab on students’ physics learning and whether those virtual experiments can substitute and/or enhance students’ performance in the real lab. Also, there is a need to design effective learning environments which are more suitable to students’ characteristics in the digital age and can help them to acquire science inquiry and practical skills. Methodology: Mixed research methodology is adopted including quasi-experimental design, achievement test, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. Two groups of students were selected: an experimental group (45 students) and control group (45 students). Contribution: The study results contribute to the ongoing discussion on the role of virtual lab in learning and teaching general physics lab and provide a model of combining virtual and real lab as well as an alternative solution under the times of COVID 19. Findings: The results of the study showed that substituting face-to-face theoretical preparation in the general physics lab is at least equally effective as using virtual experiments. Students with virtual components acquired deeper understanding of physics concepts and were better prepared for carrying out real experiments. Attending online videos spared students’ time and provided them with a more flexible and rich learning environment. Recommendations for Practitioners: Faculty members are encouraged to use virtual experiments instead of face-to-face lab preparation. It is important to include more interactive multimedia and short online videos in the design of the virtual experiments. Recommendation for Researchers: The development of virtual experiments can be extended to other experiments and topics in science. Researchers are encouraged to combine both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools to allow deeper exploration of students learning in the virtual environments. Impact on Society: Virtual labs have the potential to save time and cost for both students and university as they reduce presence hours at the university in the real lab. Virtual experiments provide flexible learning opportunities that can overcome time, pace, and place barriers for learners from the community. They also provide a solution for physical distancing needed due to the emergency conditions imposed by the pandemic. Future Research: Further investigations are needed to include the development of the whole introductory physics lab into virtual course and to explore the digital (virtual) transformation of other topics in physics and science as well.

Effectiveness of Augmented Reality-Based Learning Media for Engineering-Physics Teaching

“…These findings also supported the results from previous studies conducted [7], [19] regarding the contribution of multimedia to improving learning in the field of science. This research also was in line with research that succeeded in improving engineering-physics learning outcomes through multimedia modules [9], [22] and research that substantiated the superiority of multimedia with animation and simulation in learning science and technology [24]. The advantages of multimedia in the teaching and learning process in improving student achievement also are determined by the structure of their content preparation that takes into account design principles [16] and is in accordance with cognitive theory in line with students' thinking [17].…”

“…A number of studies have discussed the teaching and learning of physics and basic engineering and their relation to study competence. Learning media based on augmented reality and virtual reality have proven to be quite influential in improving students' learning outcomes in various fields of expertise, such as physics [8], [22] and geoeducation [23], [24]. Research results also have proven the increasing effectiveness and efficiency of learning using learning media in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [25], [26] and imagineering processes [27].…”

The Development and Usability of BITADA Kit for Linear Motion Topics among Physics Trainee Teachers

“…It indicated that the student can learn easily on how to use the BITADA kit. Hence, students' understanding can be improved using the BITADA kit [10]. The BITADA kit also has high usability level for the satisfaction aspect (M = 4.73, SD = 0.337).…”

Development of an Interactive Learning Module for the Gas Law Topic and Its Usability among Physics Trainee Teachers

“…However, most experiments could not be performed during the home-based teaching and learning session due to the lack of scientific apparatus at home. Hence, the simulation can be utilized to replace the implementation of the experiment since it was proven to have a similar effect on students' understanding as experiments [10][11]. Thus, the simulation can be included in the teaching aids for the online home-based teaching and learning session.…”