Web-based Virtual Labs

A Cosmos – Evidence – Ideas as a Design Framework Leading to Good Practice

Αnastasios Molohidis

, Ioannis Lefkos

, Athanasios Taramopoulos

, Euripides Hatzikraniotis

and

Dimitrios Psillos

Physics Department, Αristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Elementary Education, 8

Elementary School of Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, Greece

Secondary Education, Nea Zichni Lyceum, Thessaloniki, Greece

Department of Primary Education, Αristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Keywords: Web-based Virtual Lab.

Abstract: This paper presents three novel open, web-based, virtual laboratories for Physics. The labs are open,

meaning they embody a complete Physics micro-world that implements all necessary Physics laws in

algorithmic format. They run in real time and are deployed as Java applets, in order to be accessible via the

World Wide Web, with minimum requirements on the client side. Additionally, the labs present a number of

features, highly desirable for virtual labs, such as photorealistic graphics, direct manipulation, user

friendliness, multiple visualizations of the experiments and the corresponding phenomena and multiple

measuring instruments. Finally we present the main design principles on which the development of the labs

were based and we propose good practices that can help the acceptance from the science teachers’

community and the more effective way of implementation into the class situation.

1 INTRODUCTION

Virtual laboratories (VL), simulate in visual and

functional ways the classical science laboratory on

the screen of a computer, the dynamics, provided by

the modern multimedia technology, such as the

interactivity, the direct manipulation of objects and

parameters, the synchronized coupling of multiple

representations (Kocijiancic and O΄Sullivan, 2004,

Hatzikraniotis et al, 2007). As a result, new

possibilities and prospects, beyond the limits of

classical laboratory, are introduced which create a

technologically enriched environment potentially

facilitating students’ active engagement in scientific

inquiry (Zacharia, 2005, Hennessy et al, 2007,

Rutten et al, 2012, de Jong et al, 2013).

The effectiveness of VL in Science Teaching has

been the subject of many research papers. Some

have suggested that the study with the help of

computer and multimedia applications can exceed,

to some extend, the technical and instructive

restrictions of classical hands-on laboratory in

science teaching (Sassi, 2001, Petridou, 2005) while

others have suggested that these applications have

been effective in science teaching (Klahr et al, 2007)

or that they promote the conceptual understanding in

various aspects e.g. they can eliminate the handicap

of the slow development of thermal interactions, and

allow experimenting in “extreme” conditions with

easy manipulation of variables (Hatzikraniotis et al,

2010). Martinez et al (2011) mentioned that “their

use fosters conceptual development and change and

helps students to comprehend many physical

phenomena in different areas of study, such as

mechanics, optics or even the entire science

curriculum”. Other studies show that combining

them with a proportional number of hands-on

experiments seems to be necessary for students’

development of all dimensions of their experiment

design skills. Although many researchers have found

that groups of pupils who have worked with

computer simulations make greater strides in

learning, others have found that the benefits of

learning through simulations are ambiguous (Ma and

Nickerson, 2006, Trundle and Bell, 2010, Martinez

et al, 2011)

According to Harms, modern virtual laboratory

environments can be categorized into five groups:

Simulations, networked applet labs (Cyber Labs),

Virtual Labs, Virtual Reality Labs (VR Labs) and

Remote Labs (Harms, 2000). Simulations, Virtual

418

Molohidis A., Lefkos I., Taramopoulos A., Hatzikraniotis E. and Psillos D..

Web-based Virtual Labs - A Cosmos – Evidence – Ideas as a Design Framework Leading to Good Practice.

DOI: 10.5220/0005477204180423

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2015), pages 418-423

ISBN: 978-989-758-107-6

 2015 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

Labs and Virtual Reality Labs are computer

applications that, mainly for speed and security

reasons, are executed at the user’s local computer,

which restricts their use inside the school premises.

The solution, for using a VL beyond the school-

class would be the Cyber-labs, web-based VLs.

Today, they are in the form of java applets.

Obviously, building a java applet requires skills

which are beyond those possessed by the average

teacher. Thus, during teaching, teachers may use

applets available on the Internet, without being able

to create their own or modify existing ones. Even

though there are existing platforms for creating

applets without requiring extensive knowledge of

Java language, like Physlets scriptable applets

(Christian, 2005), or Easy Java Simulations

(Esquembre, 2004), teachers opt not to use them,

since training is required on how to use them.

Furthermore, in ready-made applets, there seems

to be a trade-off between the broadness in

phenomena and the realism in the representations. It

seems that the broader range of physical phenomena

a lab can present, according to the degrees of

freedom a teacher is given to construct his own

experiment, the less realistic is the representation

used, as for example the Java applets on Physics

(Fendt, 2008). On the other hand, when the aim is

photorealistic appearance and the direct

manipulation, the outcome is rather ready-to-run

experiments, where one can remotely perform only a

limited set of specific operations (e.g. experiments in

www.vlab.co.in as described in Pulijala et al, 2013).

It seems lucking the fully operational environments

for experimentation, where the user can set up his

own experiment (even if it is not the correct one),

run it and collect data for processing.

Our team has developed web-based VLs, which

aim to fill this gap by enabling the teacher-user, as

well as the student-user to setup his own experiment,

with realistic representation of a real lab, and direct

manipulation of objects (Hatzikraniotis et al, 2007,

Lefkos et al, 2009, Lefkos et al, 2011, Taramopoulos

et al, 2011)

Designing a VL (stand alone or web-based) is

shaped by scientific (in the science education

context), and institutional/educational factors. Thus,

specific teaching–learning activities that students

perform with this lab, as for example the ways and

possibilities of linking theoretical entities and the

material world (which lie at the heart of inquiry), are

also affected by the designer’s view of scientific

inquiry. Science consists of representations of the

material world but, at the same time, it contains

methods of intervention in the material world

especially at a laboratory level, where scientists

explore the agreement of the experimental data with

the underlying theories. This interventional practice

in the laboratory is part of scientific tradition and a

particular feature of the internal logic of laboratory

science, which allows interaction of material entities

with theoretical models. Hacking (1995), considered

at first the actual laboratory science activities

practiced by scientists and then, by working

upwards, he attempted to generalize and produce

patterns of scientific practice, which include three

categories: namely, Cosmos– Evidence–Ideas (CEI).

To the best of our knowledge, CEI framework was

employed only in the analysis and epistemological

modeling of teaching–learning (didactical) activities

(Psillos, et al, 2004). In this paper, we argue that the

CEI can also be an efficient framework for the

design of web-VLs and the corresponding portal

which will host them. As example, we introduce the

recently developed web-VLs, with realistic

representation of a real lab, a great feeling of direct

manipulation of objects and parameters and the

affordance to set up experiments and to manipulate

them from a distance, through the World Wide Web.

2 THE VIRTUAL LABS

The web-VLs are 3 independent micro-world

environments, in optics, heat and electricity, with

realistic 3D representation of lab objects and

appropriate functions for the simulation of relevant

phenomena. The direct manipulation of the objects

allows the user to compose experimental settings

and fosters open inquiry activities and what-if

investigations.

An innovative feature of the Labs is the existence

of parallel components, which present multiple

views of the phenomenon under study. The use of

discrete worlds for representing the real and the

symbolic entities is a main design strategy followed

during the development of these environments and

have been presented in previous papers

(Hatzikraniotis et al, 2007, Lefkos et al, 2009,

Lefkos et al, 2011, Taramopoulos et al, 2011). One

component, the “Cosmos” window, is a virtual

laboratory, which represents, with visual and

functional reality, the phenomena and one other

component, the “Model” window, which shows the

symbolic representation of the experimental setup, is

dynamically linked to the actual “labspace” and

simulates the experimental setup in real time on the

base of valid theoretical models. Each action on the

bench of the “Cosmos” is reflected in real-time in

Web-basedVirtualLabs-ACosmos-Evidence-IdeasasaDesignFrameworkLeadingtoGoodPractice

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this “Model” so that a link is potentially established

between virtual objects and scientific representations

in students’ mind. The user cannot act on this

window except from capturing its content as a

graphics file for further use. Research has shown

that such affordances increase the students’

conceptual evolution in complex situations

(Olympiou et al. 2012).

i Τhe Optics Virtual Lab

A real world’s optics bench consists of a series of

objects, light sources and instruments (fig.1) by the

help of which one can compose such settings that

will allow him to study optical phenomena. The user

can set up an experiment containing various optical

objects (lenses, mirrors, prisms) of known or

unknown characteristics (e.g. focal length), various

light sources (laser beam, spot light of different

colors) and various non transparent objects for the

study of focal length, magnitude, shadow formation,

color composition, image formation, using various

apparatuses as an optical disk, a ruler, a photometer

etc.

Finally, the Optics VL includes four discrete

worlds: the VL bench which visualizes the reality,

the model-world, which represents in real-time the

phenomena taking place on the bench, the image

formed at the screen and the graph of brightness.

Objects can be manipulated only on the VL bench

while in the model world and on the screen only

measures can be taken.

Figure 1: The Optics VL: Study of focal length of a

biconvex lens.

ii Τhe Heat Virtual Lab

This VL environment consists of the main bench

where users can quickly and easily set-up and

execute experiments by direct manipulation of the

objects which include various beakers and

thermometers, two heat sources, some liquids

(water, milk, oil), soluble substances (salt, sugar)

and some solid cubes made from iron, lead or gold

(fig.2). There is also a heating chamber, a sink with

faucet, a boiler, a thermostat and a chronometer with

the affordance of time acceleration. Users can

observe the results in multiple representations like

graphs of temperature and heat exchange vs. time

and the volume change vs. time.

Figure 2: The Heat VL: Study of thermal interaction of

two quantities water with different initial temperature.

iii Τhe Electricity Virtual Lab

In this VL environment one can construct analogical

or logical circuits by choosing among two rasters.

Figure 3: The Electricity VL: Study of a simple circuit.

The analog circuits’ raster provides users with an

additional space in the virtual lab, the model-space,

which depicts a 2-dimensional symbolic

representation of the real laboratory setup and

displays in real time the schematics of the circuit

constructed by the user (fig.3). There are various

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objects (batteries, resistors, cables, switches,

potentiometers, lamps, capacitors, coils, diodes)

which can be placed upon the raster and measuring

devices (ammeters, voltmeters).The user can set-up

and execute experiments by direct manipulation of

the objects and, at the same time, can observe the 2-

dimensional model-space symbolic representations

of the virtual laboratory. Two diagrams: I(A)-t(s)

and V(V)-t(s) are also available to the user for

studying the time evolution of electrical phenomena.

By choosing the raster for digital circuits the user

can study integrated circuits with logic gates AND,

OR, NOT, XOR, NAND or NOR and the truth table

of various combinations.

3 CEI AS A GOOD PRACTICE

In line with Hacking (1995), there are three major

categories of entities internal to scientific inquiry,

namely “cosmos” - “evidence” - “ideas” (CEI).

Material entities (‘things’ and ‘raw data’) realizing

the phenomenon in the real world, which we call as

“Cosmos”. “Evidence”, which accounts for assessed,

analyzed, reduced, etc., quantitative or qualitative

data as considered appropriate by the experimenter;

and “Ideas” (concepts, theories, models, beliefs, etc.)

about the phenomenon under consideration. Both the

scientific inquiry and the educational laboratory

activities include connections between the three

entities of the CEI framework.

Clearly, the described web-VLs follow this

scheme. “Cosmos” is the virtual lab window, where

the user (student) can set up experiments by direct

manipulation of virtual objects and measurement

instruments. Collected measurements such as

instrument’s readouts, graphs (in separate graph-

windows), etc. form the “Evidence” space. “Model

space” in web-based VLs, is interconnected with the

experiment in “Cosmos” and builds the

correspondences between the real system and the

abstract (model) which attempts to represent the

system. The synchronous interconnected imaging of

the laboratory experiment with the model

representation, helps students link the image of a

"realistic world" (laboratory) with the scientific

models and schematic representations, and (in

addition) to observe the differences in the actual

model, thus not to equate the model with the

material world, a common problem as outlined by

many authors (Vreman, 2004). “Model space”

depicts the “Ideas” space in the CEI framework.

The portal for hosting the web-based VLs,

currently under construction, is planned as a

repository of activities. It may be accessed both by

teachers and students. Having in mind the web-

based nature of the VLs, the portal is structured

based upon conditions and practices for open and

distance education, therefore no typical (in-class)

education.

The repositories contain folders with topics, also

structured based on the CEI framework. In the

“Cosmos” sub-folder, besides the web-based VLs,

we intend to include, ready to run experiments. In

the “Evidence” sub-folder, the activities, with hints

for a more or less systematic processing of raw data;

data representations, classification according to

chosen criteria, comparison with other data, etc.

Finally, in the “Ideas” sub-folder will be included

specific theoretical issues, models or concepts, as

well as methodological entities that gain a certain

meaning in a theoretical framework, which can be a

question or a hypothesis. We also include implicit

views (i.e. views of reality, causality, relation

between the subject of the knowledge and the

external world) that, although not straightforwardly

stated, may strongly influence the construction of

scientific knowledge.

As an example, on how student activities are

structured in the portal, we can mention the

following inquiry-based problem. “We have 3 cups

made from different materials, a plastic-cup, e

metallic-cup and a glass-cup. In which of the three

should a hot chocolate better served?”

(Hatzikraniotis et al, 2010). There is a short

description of the problem, and the aims of the

activity. Then, in the “Cosmos” sub-folder are a

number of ready-to-run experimental set ups. Each

experiment is accompanied with a short description,

the particular objective and instructions for use.

Students may run the experiments, assisted by

activity-sheets, guided to their observations, collect

data and the suggested processing of raw data, data

representations, comparison with other data, etc are

pointed-out. These are found in the “collecting

evidence” sub-folder. Finally in the “theory and

believes” sub-folder (ie. the ideas sub-folder) are

found documents of the underlying theory,

explanation of the model-space window, students’

beliefs and alternative ideas and a questionnaire for

student self-assessment.

4 CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we argue that the Cosmos-Evidence-

Ideas (CEI) can be proven as an efficient framework

for the design of web-VLs and the corresponding

Web-basedVirtualLabs-ACosmos-Evidence-IdeasasaDesignFrameworkLeadingtoGoodPractice

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portal to host them. This framework, we believe

helps students to understand concepts, theories,

models and representations of the material world, as

well as their selection and application criteria in the

social and physical environment (Bybee and

Champagne, 2000).

Questions regarding the implementation of the

web-VLs, either within the curricula or as an open-

distance learning framework would be interesting to

be investigated furthermore, in future work:

- how do science teachers adopt the web-VLs in

everyday practice?

- how are students accessing and performing the

VL experiments?

- which open and distance learning features need

to be further adopted for a better implementation

to above mentioned target groups?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work is being supported by the project

“Development of Physics CD: A wonderful journey

in the world of physics for high school students”, no

83547, Research Committee AUTH.

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