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

Anastasios Molohidis, Ioannis Lefkos, Athanasios Taramopoulos, Euripides Hatzikraniotis, Dimitrios Psillos

2015

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.

References

  1. Bybee R., Champangne A., 2000. The National Science Education Standards. Science Teacher, 67, 54-55.
  2. Christian W., 2005. Java applets collection: http://webphysics.davidson.edu/Applets/Applets.html.
  3. de Jong T., Linn M., Zacharias Z., 2013. Physical and Virtual Laboratories in Science and Engineering Education. Science, 340, 305-308.
  4. Esquembre F., 2004. Easy Java Simulations: a software tool to create scientific simulations in Java, Computer Physics Communications, 156, 199-204.
  5. Fendt W., 2008. Java applets collection: http://ww1. walterfendt.de/
  6. Goldberg, F M. and McDermott. L. C., 1983. Not all the wrong answers students give represent misconceptions. Examples from interview on geometrical optics. Proceedings of an International Seminar on Misconceptions in Science and Mathematics. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 335- 345.
  7. Hacking, I., 1995. Representing and Intervening. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  8. Harms U., 2000. Virtual and remote labs in physics education. Second European Conference On Physics Teaching in Engineering Education. Budapest. Retrieved 25 June 2005 from: http://www.bme.hu/ptee2000/papers/ harms1.pdf.
  9. Hatzikraniotis E., Bisdikian G., Barbas A., Psillos D., 2007. OptiLAb: Design and Development of an Integrated Virtual Laboratory for Teachin Optics. Paper presented at the International Conference on Computer Based Learning in Science, CBLIS-07, Crete.
  10. Hatzikraniotis E., Kallery M., Molohidis A., Psillos D., 2010. Students' design of experiments: an inquiry module on conduction of heat, Phys. Educ. 45, 335- 344.
  11. Hennessy S., Wishart J., Whitelock D., Deaney R., Brawn R., la Velle L., McFarlane A., Ruthven K. Winterbottom M., 2007. Pedagogical Approaches for Technology-Integrated Science Teaching, Computers and Education 48, 137-152.
  12. Klahr, D., L. Triona and C. Williams. 2007. Hands on what? The relative effectiveness of physical versus virtual materials in an engineering design project by middle school children. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 44, no. 1: 183-203.
  13. Kocijancic, S. and O'Sullivan, C., 2004. Real or virtual laboratories in science teaching - is this actually a dilemma? Informatics in Education, 3(2), 239- 249.
  14. Lefkos I, Psillos D. and Hatzikraniotis E., 2009. Enhancing students' abilities to design experiments of thermal interactions by virtual investigations in a simulated laboratory, in M.F. Tasar and G. Cakmakci (Eds.): “Contemporary Science Education Research: Teaching”, pp. 413-418, ESERA (ISBN: 978-605-364- 030-1).
  15. Lefkos I, Psillos D. and Hatzikraniotis E., 2011. Designing Experiments on thermal interactions by secondarysghool students in a simulated laboratory environment, Research in Science and Technological Education, Vol. 29, No. 2, 189-204.
  16. Ma Jing, Nickerson J., 2006. Hands-on, Simulated and Remote Laboratories: A Comparative Literature Review. ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 38, No. 3, Article 7.
  17. Martinez G., Naranjo F., Perez A., Suero M.I. and Pardo P., 2011. Comparative study of the effectiveness of three learning environments: Hyper-realistic virtual simulations, traditional schematic simulations and traditional laboratory. Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research 7, 020111.
  18. Olympiou G., Zacharia Z., and de Jong T., 2012. Making the invisible visible: enhancing students' conceptual understanding by introducing representations of abstract objects in a simulation. Instructional Science, Doi: 10.1007/s11251-012-9245-2.
  19. Petridou, E., Psillos, D., Lefkos, I., Fourlari, S., Hatzikraniotis, E., 2005. Investigating the use of simulated laboratory for teaching aspects of calorimetry to secondary education students, CBLIS 2005, Slovakia.
  20. Psillos, D., Tselfes, V, Kariotoglou P., 2004. An epistemological analysis of the evolution of didactical activities in teaching-learning sequences: the case of fluids, Int. J. Sci. Educ., 26, 555-578.
  21. Pulijala V., Akula A. and Syed A., 2013. A Web-Based Virtual Laboratory for Electromagmetic Theory. IEEE Fifth International Conference on Technology for Education. Kharagpur, India, 18-20 December 2013.
  22. Rutten N., van Joolingen W. R., van der Veen J., 2012. The learning effects of computer simulations in Science Education. Computers and Education, 58, 136-153.
  23. Sassi, E., 2001. Computer supported lab-work in physics education: advantages and problems. In R. Pinto and S. Surinach (eds) Proceedings of the International Conference Physics Teacher Education Beyond 2000, CD Production Calidos, Barcelona.
  24. Taramopoulos A., Psillos D, Hatzikraniotis E, 2011. Teaching electric circuits by guided inquiry in virtual and real laboratory environments, in A. Jimoyiannis (Ed.), Research on e-Learning and ICT in Education. pp. 1-12.
  25. Trundle K.C., Bell R.L., 2010. The use of a computer simulation to promote conceptual change: A quasiexperimental study. Computers and Education, 54 1078-1088.
  26. Vreman-de Olde C., de Jong T., 2004. Student-generated assignments about electrical circuits in a computer simulation, International Journal of Science Education, 26, 859-873.
  27. Zacharia Z. C., 2005. The Impact of Interactive Computer Simulations on the Nature and Quality of Postgraduate Science Teachers' Explanations in Physics, International Journal of Science Education 27, 1741.
Download


Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

Molohidis A., Lefkos I., Taramopoulos A., Hatzikraniotis E. and Psillos D. (2015). Web-based Virtual Labs - A Cosmos – Evidence – Ideas as a Design Framework Leading to Good Practice . In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-107-6, pages 418-423. DOI: 10.5220/0005477204180423


in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu15,
author={Anastasios Molohidis and Ioannis Lefkos and Athanasios Taramopoulos and Euripides Hatzikraniotis and Dimitrios Psillos},
title={Web-based Virtual Labs - A Cosmos – Evidence – Ideas as a Design Framework Leading to Good Practice},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,},
year={2015},
pages={418-423},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005477204180423},
isbn={978-989-758-107-6},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,
TI - Web-based Virtual Labs - A Cosmos – Evidence – Ideas as a Design Framework Leading to Good Practice
SN - 978-989-758-107-6
AU - Molohidis A.
AU - Lefkos I.
AU - Taramopoulos A.
AU - Hatzikraniotis E.
AU - Psillos D.
PY - 2015
SP - 418
EP - 423
DO - 10.5220/0005477204180423