Presentation of "Web-Based Physics Virtual Labs", held during the 10th Science Projects Workshop in the Future Classroom Lab, Brussels, 26-28 February 2016

1. 10th SCIENTIX W/S
Brussels, 26-28 Feb 2016
Ioannis Lefkos

2.  Laboratory work is considered to be a
key factor in Science Education
 Students can acquire a better and deeper
understanding of physical phenomena and
can develop scientific way of thinking.
 However, several studies provide evidence
that during hands-on experiments
students often tend to spend most of their
time on handling equipment
 Thus limiting the effectiveness of hands-
on experimentation

3.  Virtual laboratories (VLs) have emerged
as powerful environments which can
successfully support experimentation
and student activities
 Simulation based on the scientific model
that describes interaction of the objects
 A large number of research studies
Virtual vs. Real
 virtual laboratories, as educational
environments, are not inferior to their
real counterparts

4. Web-based Virtual Laboratories:
Optics, Electric circuits,
Thermal Phenomena
Project

5.  Offer all the features of Virtual
Laboratories
 Are accessible freely at any time over
the internet
 May break the natural barrier between
the classroom, the laboratory, the
school, and the community (students –
parents)
 Formal or Informal educational setting

6. A lot of Applets available - Typically :
 Do not have a realistic look and feel
AND / OR
 Are limited to predefined set-ups
 Conceptually oriented vs. Manipulation oriented
additionally

7. materials
Common
•Orange soda
•Coffee
Liquid
•Water
•Olive oil
•Milk
Soluble
•Salt
•Sugar
Solid
•Iron
•Lead
•Gold

8. Containers
Glass
•100, 250, 600ml
Aluminium
white
•100, 250, 600ml
Aluminium
•100, 250, 600ml
Ceramic
•100, 250, 600ml
Thermos
(Dewar flask)
•600ml

9. Devices
Hot plates
•Adjustable
power
Sink / water
tap
•-50 έως 90οC
Chamber for
instant heating/
cooling
•-50 to 90οC

10. Instruments
Timer /
simulation
control
•Start
•Pause
•Stop / Reset
Volume meter
•Solid materials
Thermometer
•Liquid / solid
materials

11. Regulators
Chamber for
instant heating
/ cooling
-20 to90οC
Tap water
-50 to 90οC
Room
temperature
-50 to150οC
Time
acceleration
x1 to x100

12. Data display
Graph1:
Temperature
vs. time
Graph3:
Volume vs.
time
Graph2: Heat
energy vs. time
Info Board
-selected
object

13.  In accordance with:
 Technical specifications of the implementation
 Theoretical model to be represented (simulated)
within the laboratory
 Decisions concerning didactics and pedagogy
 Literature review of studies concerning the use of
simulations and virtual laboratories

14.  Some of the main features are :
 The look and feel of a real laboratory room
◦ The presented phenomena are animated so the user gets a
feed back off the process
◦ Instruments and gauges are also presented like in real life
 Graphs in real time directly related to the presented phenomena
 The user can set-up any experiment using every available object,
choosing the initial conditions and other parameters and control
the experiment in every way
 Every set-up is constructed by the user with direct manipulation
of objects and parameters.

15.  The experimental set-up is not predefined
 The set-up can be changed even while the
simulation is “running”
 User input seems like in real life
 There are also some “virtual” elements, not
available in a real life laboratory (time
acceleration, room temperature control)

16.  Flexible, can be adopted to any kind of teaching
method and can also be used for various types
of investigation
 Besides content learning, this kind of virtual
laboratory can also help for developing
procedural knowledge (experimentation)
 Under certain conditions, it is possible for skills
to be transferred between the virtual and the
real world.

17.  Some suggestions for guided investigations
using the Virtual laboratory, were provided
for the project in worksheets
 Modular structure, including steps like
◦ Prediction,
◦ Experimentation (Set-up, observe, take
measurements),
◦ Explanation,
◦ Conclusion and
◦ Reflection
 The overall structure follows the form Predict
– Observe - Explain, POE.

18.  For your attention

19.  Η στρατηγική ΠΠΕ συνήθως περιλαμβάνει:
◦ (i) μια κατάσταση και ζητά μια αιτιολογημένη πρόβλεψη για αυτό που θα
συμβεί, όταν γίνει κάποια αλλαγή
◦ (ii) την πραγματοποίηση της αλλαγής και την παρατήρηση, και
◦ (iii) την προσπάθεια να εξηγηθούν όποιες διαφορές εμφανίζονται μεταξύ
πρόβλεψης και παρατήρησης.
 Δίνει στο μαθητή τη δυνατότητα να κατανοήσει, να
παρακολουθήσει και να αξιολογήσει τις διερευνητικές
δραστηριότητες.
 Προσφέρει στους μαθητές, μεταξύ άλλων, ένα πλαίσιο που
καθοδηγεί τη σκέψη τους
 Βελτιώνει την εννοιολογική κατανόηση και τις ικανότητες
επίλυσης προβλημάτων αλλά επίσης αναπτύσσει σημαντικά
τις μεταγνωστικές ικανότητες των μαθητών.