Search

Introduction: This paper reports on a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study that assessed technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) competency among life sciences teachers in the context of virtual lab adoption in rural schools in South Africa. Methods: Drawing from TPACK framework as the study's theoretical foundation, data gathered through questionnaires (N = 186) and in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 4) were analysed using descriptive and thematic analysis. Results: The study uncovered a ubiquitous deficiency in TPACK competency among the participating life sciences teachers. The teachers demonstrated significant expertise in conventional areas such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), mainly influenced by teaching experience. However, they exhibited a noticeable gap in technology-related TPACK domains, including technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and overall TPACK proficiency. Discussion: This paper aspires to address a significant gap in educational research by spotlighting the often-overlooked rural teaching contexts. In addition, the paper advocates for tailored professional development initiatives to enhance teachers' overall TPACK proficiency. Such initiatives are crucial for empowering teachers to integrate technology into their teaching and improve learning outcomes effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper reports on a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study that assessed technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) competency among life sciences teachers in the context of virtual lab adoption in rural schools in South Africa. Methods: Drawing from TPACK framework as the study’s theoretical foundation, data gathered through questionnaires (N = 186) and in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 4) were analysed using descriptive and thematic analysis. Results: The study uncovered a ubiquitous deficiency in TPACK competency among the participating life sciences teachers. The teachers demonstrated significant expertise in conventional areas such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), mainly influenced by teaching experience. However, they exhibited a noticeable gap in technology-related TPACK domains, including technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and overall TPACK proficiency. Discussion: This paper aspires to address a significant gap in educational research by spotlighting the often-overlooked rural teaching contexts. In addition, the paper advocates for tailored professional development initiatives to enhance teachers’ overall TPACK proficiency. Such initiatives are crucial for empowering teachers to integrate technology into their teaching and improve learning outcomes effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has provided unprecedented opportunities to enhance the quality of life over the past few decades. It has not only augmented the efficacy of telecommunication but also facilitated lifelong teaching and learning. ICT played a remarkable role in assisting students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, schools and colleges have been closed to prevent its lethal impact. In order to facilitate teaching-learning during the pandemic, the entire educational system was shifted to an online mode of knowledge dissemination. In the online mode, both students and teachers encountered some difficulties. During lockdowns, mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, were used to conduct online experiments via virtual platforms. Despite this, a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) was required to fill the gap created by the lack of proximity in a typical classroom. A LMS not only makes online learning possible, but also helps students gain practical experience R. Kaur Department of Electronics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi-110019, India. 4ravneetkaur@andc.du.ac.in and allows teachers to evaluate them. In this paper, an Android-based LMS is proposed to assist students perform physics experiments virtually on smart devices. The proposed system is an inexpensive, hands-on solution that is easy to install on smartphones and tablets. The main objective of the proposed system is to provide teachers with a comprehensive way of managing teaching-learning and evaluating the knowledge of concepts. Though the proposed system is designed for the physics lab, it can be expanded and adapted to other subject areas. The system is not intended to replace the current education system, but to supplement it by fostering and testing innovative ideas and solutions for effective learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involving students in laboratory and inquiry-based activities can help them understand the concepts of physics. However the learning process should not only focus on the concepts. Moreover, the advantages of using virtual or physical labs are still under examination. The purpose of this study is to analyse which of the two modes (virtual or physical) is the most effective for high-school students, in terms of conceptual understanding and attitudes. The criteria for this comparison are (a) the contribution of these two modes to the improvement of conceptual understanding and (b) the students' attitudes towards both modes of laboratory. The participants were high-school students of 3rd grade in two different groups. For the purpose of the study, four educational scenarios were created: two in the field of Mechanics and two in that of Electricity. The study revealed no statistically significant difference regarding students' experimenting in either lab mode. Moreover, students' attitudes towards both virtual and physical labs were similarly positive. We assume that these results may contribute to a broader perspective on choosing the lab mode when designing activities, given the fact that both the understanding and attitudes of the students are similar in the cases examined. Thus, the final choice of modality should be based on other factors, such as the adequacy of equipment, the educational conditions (e.g. distance education) and the specific learning goals set by the teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate if immersive gamified virtual labs can be used as effective pedagogical tools by properly incorporating them into higher education curricula to assist low-risk active learning and student engagement. Design/methodology/approach: This research design comprises two gamified virtual labs including nine essential experiments of biology and chemistry integrated into the higher education curriculum of the Foundation of Science at an international University. Students filled in a survey after participating in the lab to shed light on appropriate ways of using gamification approaches in virtual labs. Findings: From the predominant findings of the study, gamified virtual labs increase student involvement thereby enhancing knowledge development with active learning and may be a potentially suitable pedagogical tool for low-risk interactive learning. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of the study include findings based on gamified virtual labs but not comparing the gamified virtual labs to simple virtual simulations to further investigate the pedagogical approach and understand the student perceptions in a simple virtual simulation and a gamified virtual lab. Practical implications: The findings of this study will provide evidence that gamified virtual labs integrated into higher education curricula as supplementary tools for laboratory experimentation improve the educational delivery process. Originality/value: This research highlights an appropriate way of integrating 3D virtual labs into practical curricula while discussing the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practicum activities are crucial for supporting students' success in the teaching and learning process. To conduct the practicum, several factors are required, which vary depending on the field of practice. Adequate facilities and equipment are also necessary. The purpose of this research is to develop a web-based interactive virtual learning application for chemistry lab experiments. The stages involved in creating an application using the multimedia development life cycle (MDLC) method include planning, designing, collecting material, manufacturing, testing, and distribution. Creating applications using Unity software and designing assets with Adobe Illustrator. Virtual labs can help overcome the lack of costs associated with procuring laboratory equipment and materials, reduce the risk of work accidents, and can be accessed from anywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In learning during the current pandemic, there are many problems, one of which students cannot meet face to face on campus, one of the learning problems that often occurs is learning geometry in universities, geometry is a scourge lesson before the pandemic both at Universitas PGRI Semarang and other private universities so far, students are required to use a compass and ruler in making flat shapes and building spaces so they have to face to face with the lecturer, but now it can't because it is still online, therefore it is necessary to make learning media that aims to help students sketch flat shapes and build spaces virtually with practice making it online with a van hiele theory approach, so that the resulting product is truly capable of elaborating between technology, the right learning approach and the content of lecture materials on an ongoing basis, then a virtual media lab for geometry courses is created that is able to display material virtually and practice making material designs virtually with the van hiele theory approach, the research method used using the ADDIE R & D model (Analysis, Design, Develop, Implementation and Evaluation), the result of this study is a virtual geometry lab application with van Hiele theory that is valid according to material and media experts with an average score of 93 and 95 can be used as an online geometry learning media solution. at Universitas PGRI Semarang, for student responses below 40% very agree, 59% agree and 1% disagree using virtual lab geometry it is was able to improve students' spatial abilities, Results The effectiveness of the media after being tested in the experimental class obtained an N-gain value of 0.39 which was better than the control class which only obtained an N-gain value of 0.02, then a virtual media lab for geometry courses is created that is able to display material virtually and practice making material designs virtually with a van hiele theory approach. The five steps in van Hile's theory have been well implemented consisting of (1) Visualization level, (2) Analysis level, (3) Abstraction level, (4) Formal deduction level, (5) Rigor level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to create a model template systematically designed to manage, collate, and transform a plethora of raw asphalt concrete mix design data into a format conducive to simulated modeling. Using a Virtual Lab for simulation modeling is becoming popular in construction and requires data. Also, the gathered raw data in different forms becomes inputted into a well-developed format and framework for ease of usage. The paper achieved its goals by examining relevant literature to identify templates, criteria, principles, and standards for asphalt concrete mix design. Subsequently, it created a template with detailed attention to spreadsheet design and integrating essential parameters and criteria. The text then emphasized simplicity through comprehensive documentation and automating values within each table box using defined criteria. The paper also rigorously verified the template by inputting random asphalt data into the model template to validate the model's accuracy. Results show that the model template can manage physical test data from over a thousand past asphalt mix designs. Outcomes also show that rearranging data in the model produced analogous outputs. Findings from this study may serve as a baseline for those who intend to manage the data collected for asphalt mix design modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Education, Technology & Society (BRAJETS) / Cadernos de Educação Tecnologia e Sociedade (CETS) is the property of Brazilian Journal of Education, Technology & Society - BRAJETS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work presents an original 3D code in FreeFem++ to recreate the behavior of anaerobic microorganisms in non-stirred anaerobic reactors with an intermittent feed. The physical and biochemical phenomena have been considered using a mathematical model based on a set of partial differential equations: Stokes, advection–diffusion, and diffusion–reaction. The description of the anaerobic metabolism was carried out by implementing the structured AMD1 model. The Galerkin finite element method has been used to solve the partial differential equations defined in the model. Finally, the methodology and procedures are presented by means of a concrete example. Thanks to the inclusion of this e-learning tool for use in virtual laboratories, it is possible to improve the understanding of engineering students on the functioning of the metabolism that takes place inside non-stirred anaerobic reactors that are fed discontinuously. This proposal reinforces to students, in a transversal way, both environmental sensitivity and awareness of the circular economy focused on the implementation of natural wastewater treatment systems in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiome study requires both molecular techniques and bioinformatics skills, which are challenging for biologists to participate in this growing field. To introduce microbiome concepts and skills to students, a 6‐week wet‐lab and bioinformatics course for undergraduates was implemented through the project‐based learning (PBL) approach. In the saliva microbiome project, students collected their saliva samples, performed DNA extraction and PCR amplification, followed by metagenomic analysis to compare the diversity and abundances of microbes among samples. First, students are required to practice molecular techniques and bioinformatics analysis skills in a virtual simulation lab. To our knowledge, our study is the first one to incorporate a virtual lab into microbiome experience. Then, students applied their recently acquired skills to produce and analyze their own 16S amplicon sequencing data and reported their results via a scientific report. The student learning outcomes show that the Virtual lab can improve students' laboratory techniques and research capabilities. Moreover, a simple pipeline to analyze 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data is introduced in a step‐by‐step manner that helps students to develop analysis skills. This project can be modified as either a virtual course or a module within another course such as microbiology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Our study provides evidence on the positive impact of virtual labs on learning outcomes in undergraduate science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariable calculus is a subject undertaken by engineering students as a core module at the freshman level. One of the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) in multivariable calculus is to gain an intuition for visualizing three-dimensional surfaces and deducing their properties. For students to visualize more complex multivariable calculus concepts, a virtual reality (VR) application has been created. Tapping on existing infrastructures, we investigate the effectiveness of visualization through VR usage vis-à-vis a two-dimensional digital screen. We have conducted a controlled trial on a group of N = 119 students across two groups. The first group (control group) comprises students who participated in an online quiz (as a baseline test). The second group (treatment group) is given two sets of tests, the first is the same baseline test that the control group participated in, before administering the test questions on the VR platform (termed the treatment test) to the same group of students. Our analysis reveals that students, in general, perform better on questions pertaining to the identification of the sign of partial derivatives in the treatment test, but for other intended learning outcomes linked to other questions, students have performance similar to the baseline test. Furthermore, low-progress students in the treatment group exhibited improvement after the treatment. Our work here has the potential to be developed into a future-ready smart classroom through VR usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the student fraternity to physically access the laboratory and conduct experiments offline. Across the world, new platforms have been designed with ICT tools for the smooth conduction of academics specifically for laboratory courses. This article aims to provide quality circle-based guidance to the community to develop a Virtual Laboratory. The virtual lab is developed through an emphasis on Quality Circle methodology. The Quality Circle team has developed an instructional methodology known as the virtual laboratory (VL). It incorporates pedagogical techniques that help students to better understand the theoretical concepts in an effective and joyful way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CDIO (Conceiving -- Designing -- Implementing -- Operating) Initiative collaborators have adopted CDIO as the framework of their curricular planning and outcome-based assessment which demands more active learning strategies. A flipped classroom is a student centric instructional strategy and a type of blended learning, which aims to increase student engagement and learning by having complete readings at home and work on live problem-solving during class time. Virtual labs are interactive, digital simulations of activities to learn/explain certain concept that improves the content delivery of all types of courses and is helpful for students understanding and applying the concepts in a better way. How can a virtual lab help in flipped mode especially in what type of course? The experiment is conducted for the course 18EE340 -Digital Systems with two sets of students: experimental group with virtual lab integrated Flipped model and controlled group with flipped model without virtual lab. The outcome of the activity is measured using focus group discussions and it is understood that students have involved in the activity with attentiveness and the positive outcome is also seen in the results of CAT performance. It is found that 14.5% improvement is obtained in the experimental group when compared to the controlled group. Also the research study shows that the CDIO skills get improved by adopting the proposed method. On the other hand, this paper also discusses the common errors made in Flipped Class during planning and how to overcome them based on experiential learning using 5 different case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic Covid-19 has brought a change in the education significantly. As we all know that Education Industry was the drastically hit industry in the service sector. The future of education completely depends upon experiential learning. Now the students can find their courses and books online where they can study as per their own schedule. In these times of need, online learning tools emerged as a boon. In this regard the department tried to design and implement a web-based simulation models under Virtual BIZ & Investment Lab for the student Learners. This paper talks about the benefits of Virtual lab and how it will expose the student learners to real world problem solving and decision making issues to make them industry ready. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, Computers are the dominant technology of the twenty-first century. Thus, programming and the development of software are fundamental activities in which many people across the globe are involved. As a result, programming courses are part of the curriculum. The course is introduced to all first-year IT and Non-IT students who have either no or less expertise in computer programming. The main purpose to select these techniques for non-IT students is to prepare them to work with IT specialists at their future jobs by instilling in them a constant knowledge of technical fundamentals. But as compared to IT students, learning of C programming becomes difficult for non-IT students due to this their passing rate is low. Students lose their interest in programming due to their having less computer programming knowledge which leads to a gap in technical competency require by the IT sector. Taking this into consideration activities like quizzes, debugging tests, and usage of a virtual lab for students were implemented. These activities enhanced students' way of thinking, problem-solving ability, programming, and debugging skills. The idea of using PBL teaching methods, Think-Pair-Share, and E-Learning may improve the effect of C language teaching, and promote the student's learning initiative. The main focus of this study is to enlighten different teaching approaches and methodologies for first-year non-IT students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Covid 19 pandemic, education shifted from offline to online, impacting a lot of technical education. The online theory courses were conducted effectively, but there were a lot of problems the faculty faced in conducting laboratory courses. This problem includes an ineffective demonstration of lab experiments, difficulty in time management, monitoring, and assessment, inability to tackle the issues of various students' learning styles, and unavailability of a common platform for online lab conduction. In technical education, the lab course plays a vital role. We found that a virtual laboratory is the best solution to address these issues. Many virtual labs are available for programming courses but need a customized Virtual lab for core courses. In this paper, we have carried out 16 surveys through Google forms to get inputs/feedback from faculties and students to get difficulties in online lab conduction and how we can make the best use of virtual labs online to conduct the lab experiment online mode. We designed and created the virtual laboratory for the Computer Networks Lab course with various learning materials, including theory, simulation videos, pre-test & post-test, and the procedure to conduct the lab experiment, which benefited the students. The implemented virtual lab found more effective. We found the significant impact on the result of CN Lab after using the customized virtual lab for CN Lab course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education sector, in general, is constantly trying to integrate the current fourth industrial revolution known as Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) into its curriculum. In efforts to do that, this capstone project was assigned to a group of students doing their Bachelor's in Engineering to effectively create and design a virtual or remote lab that would further help students everywhere to be more engaged and involved in the learning process. In this regard, this paper introduces the initiative being carried out by the UOW Malaysia KDU University College (UOWMKDU) to implement IR 4.0 in various modules being taught, in terms of projects or assignments. Therefore, a remote lab was created based on the learning outcomes of a subject available in the module. The lab includes a robotic arm manipulated through an established interface developer Blynk, being simultaneously observed through a website built by a student in the School of Engineering, UOWMKDU. The movement of therobotic arm is viewed through the website by incorporating an inexpensive camera chip into the design. Also, this paper discusses the advantages of using those components, in-depth information regarding the components and their usage, and a detailed methodology that could be used as a guideline for future students interested in creating their robotic arm. It highlights the objectives of the lab, procedures, and challenges that were faced during the period of assembling the prototype and how those challenges were overcome to produce a wellfunctioning robotic arm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent SARS-CoV2 pandemic has put a great challenge on university courses. Electronics teaching requires real laboratory experiences for students, which cannot be realized if access to physical infrastructures is prohibited. A possible solution would be to distribute to students, at home, electronics equipment suitable for laboratory experiments, but no reasonable product is currently available off-the-shelf. In this paper, the design and development of a very-low-cost experimental board tailored to these needs is presented. It contains both programmable prototyping circuitry based on a microcontroller and an FPGA and a set of measurement instruments, similar to the ones found on a typical lab desk, such as a digital storage oscilloscope, multimeter, analog signal generator, logic state analyzer and digital pattern generator. A first board, suitable for analog and digital electronics experiments, has been designed and manufactured, and is described in this paper. The board has been successfully used in master's degrees and PhD courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has heavily impacted academics' professional and personal lives, forcing many research groups (labs) to shift from an academic system primarily based on in‐person work to an almost full‐time remote workforce during lockdowns. Labs are generally characterized by a strong lab culture that underpins all research and social activities of its members. Lab culture traditionally builds on the pillars of in‐person communication, knowledge sharing, and all social and professional activities that promote collaboration, team building, scientific productivity, and well‐being. Here, we use the experience of our research group facing the COVID‐19 pandemic to illustrate how proactively reinforcing lab culture and its positive outcomes have been essential to our lab when transitioning from an in‐person to a remote lab environment, and through its ongoing evolution toward a hybrid remote/in‐person model. We argue that the proactive promotion of lab culture in research groups can foster academic resilience during crises, helping research groups to maintain their capacity to conduct scientific activities while preserving a sustainable life/work balance and a healthy mental condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial research has been undertaken on the role of specimen resources in the teaching and learning of geology and related fields. But the contributions of virtual 3D libraries have received little attention within geological heritage. We built a Virtual 3D Geological Library (V3GL) that utilizes photographic modeling, and the V3GL is based on the Cesium engine; its data-oriented distributed architecture provides specimen resources from many universities. The study utilized a comparison control group design with three groups in testing. The principal findings of this research are that the V3GL is a suitable solution for displaying and sharing geological specimens. The questionnaire in this article also verified the importance of the V3GL in improving the perception of field geological specimens and establishing the spatial relationship between the specimens and heritage. V3GL uses a unified virtual 3D space to carry three-dimensional models of specimens and heritage, photo POIs, and layer data, and also it is vital for studying the spatial relationship between specimens and the environment or between specimens and specimens. This study should, therefore, be of value to librarians, geological heritage departments, those with mobility issues, geo-practitioners wishing to examine specimens from other areas, and students who cannot be taught in the field due to underfunding of their colleges or the epidemic. The V3GL is of great significance for the protection of geoscience teaching resources through cooperation or sharing, the maintenance of the right to a fair education, and the construction of future virtual simulation solutions. In addition, photographic modeling lays the foundation for a more immersive virtual laboratory and brings opportunities to reform and improve teaching methods in the field of the natural sciences, especially in the field of the geosciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual labs provide space for students to iteratively test, observe, and revise their understanding so as to improve their scientific literacy. However, one of the challenges that students face is that they need to think and act like scientists so as to be sensitively alert to methodological flaws and various sources of error. This study thus compared the effect of two instructional approaches using a virtual lab to enhance students' scientific literacy. Before students were given the opportunity to conduct science inquiries with the virtual lab, they were required to critique problematic inquiry cases (the critique group) or watch teachers' demonstrations (the teacher demonstration group) before taking part in the inquiry. By analyzing data from 50 middle school students, this study found that the effect of applying virtual labs can be augmented by an instructional design that engages students in critiquing experiments prior to their inquiry with the virtual lab. This study also found a limitation of the use of virtual labs in helping students transfer what they have learned from the teacher's demonstration to new inquiry contexts. A close relation among scientific literacy post-test scores, critiquing performance, and inquiry performance in the inquiry activity was detected, suggesting that student critiquing prior to inquiry is in alignment with the goal of developing students' inquiry skills and scientific literacy with virtual labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares the effectiveness of in-person and virtual engineering laboratory sessions. The in-person and virtual laboratory sessions reported here comprise six experiments combined with short tutorials. The virtual lab combined enquiry-based learning and gamification principles. The integration of the virtual labs with in-person teaching created a blended learning environment. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed based on (i) the student feedback (i.e., a questionnaire with open-ended questions and Likert scale feedback), (ii) the students' engagement with the virtual lab, and (iii) the impact on the academic performance (i.e., class test results). The students reported greater confidence in the understanding of theory in the virtual lab than the in-person lab. This is interesting given that the instruction for the virtual lab and the in-person lab of one experiment is identical (i.e., same instructor, same enquiry-based learning techniques, and same explanations). The students also appreciated the ability to complete the virtual lab anytime, anywhere, for as long as they needed, and highlighted the benefits of the interactivity. The median class test scores of the students who completed some or all the virtual lab experiments was higher than those who did not (83–89% vs. 67%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a systematic literature review of published research on the educational application of Virtual Lab. The paper focuses on the use of the mobile Virtual Lab application for learning science practicals in rural school context. This paper analyses the theoretical aspects of using VL in teaching and learning of science practical experiments. The previous studies published in national and international journals and conference proceedings on science education and technologies in education, and regarding the benefits of using VL in science education, are discussed as references for integrating VL in teaching of science practicals in the rural school context. A systematic review method was adopted in this paper to explore articles that focus on Virtual Labs and the use of Virtual labs in teaching and learning. However, the aim of this paper is to provide science teachers in rural schools and education policy makers with a better understanding of the constraints and the benefits of using VL technology in mediating learning of science practical experiments and encourage teachers to adopt the use of VL as technology for conducting science practical experiments. In addition, this paper also addresses the possible factors that may affect learners' learning of science practical experiments using VL technology in rural school educational settings, giving educational policy makers and curriculum developers enlightenment as to the effective integration of VL technology in science education. We conclude by providing suggestions and recommendations on the use of VL in teaching and learning of science practical experiments in rural schools beyond COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an innovative approach to modernizing a sophomore mechanical engineering materials course by employing simulations. The three‐credit course includes a lecture and a lab. In the lecture, students learn about theories of material formation and material properties, and in the lab, experiments are conducted to test the strength of materials in response to mechanical forces. A new module comprising simulation assignments has recently been integrated into the course. Having added this module, it is now feasible to simultaneously harness the power of simulations for predicting results of material testing, and provide a virtual lab that can be easily deployed when necessary. The main goal is to assist students with the learning process. Students gain a deeper understanding of the material properties and the changes resulting from various testing procedures by simulating the influence of relevant parameters and using visualizations. The other goal is to familiarize students with modern computational tools for solving engineering problems. The significance of this approach is in using industrial software early in the curriculum, and helping fulfill the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Criterion 3 outcomes 1, 3, and 6. Students are also required to compare their simulation results with the experimental data and discuss the potential sources of variations. The objective is to improve students' critical skills and decision making in design problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual labs allow researchers to design high-throughput and macro-level experiments that are not feasible in traditional in-person physical lab settings. Despite the increasing popularity of online research, researchers still face many technical and logistical barriers when designing and deploying virtual lab experiments. While several platforms exist to facilitate the development of virtual lab experiments, they typically present researchers with a stark trade-off between usability and functionality. We introduce Empirica: a modular virtual lab that offers a solution to the usability–functionality trade-off by employing a "flexible defaults" design strategy. This strategy enables us to maintain complete "build anything" flexibility while offering a development platform that is accessible to novice programmers. Empirica's architecture is designed to allow for parameterizable experimental designs, reusable protocols, and rapid development. These features will increase the accessibility of virtual lab experiments, remove barriers to innovation in experiment design, and enable rapid progress in the understanding of human behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study with K-9 Greek students was conducted in order to evaluate how the declarative knowledge acquisition was affected by incorporating Arduino experiments in secondary Chemistry Education. A Digital Application (DA) that blends the use of the Arduino sensors' experiments with digital educational material, including Virtual Labs (VLs), was constructed from scratch to be used through the Interactive Board (IB) as a learning tool by three different student groups (N = 154). In the first stage of the learning process, all groups used only the digital material of the DA. In the second stage, the three groups used different learning tools of the DA. Through the IB, the first group used Arduino experiments, the second one the VLs, and the third only static visualizations. A pre- to post-test statistical analysis demonstrated that the first two groups were equivalent in regard to achievement in declarative knowledge tests and of a higher level than the third group. Therefore, it can be concluded that conducting Arduino experiments in a mixed virtual-physical environment results in equivalent learning gains in declarative knowledge as those attained by using VL experimentation through the IB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to measure the level of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), conceptual understanding and identify an increase in conceptual understanding after using LVL-BOT. This type of research is Pre-Experimental with One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The research sample consisted of 37 students from physics classes who took modern physics courses. Students' level of Self-Regulated Learning is administered using a questionnaire, and understanding of concepts is administered using a test. Based on the analysis results, the percentage level of Self-Regulated Learning is at a value of 87.7%, which is included in the very high category. There is a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test mean. The NGain Values of Photoelectric Effect and Black Body Radiation are 0.47 and 0.57, respectively. This shows an increase in student's conceptual understanding, which is "enough" after using LVL-BOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futuristic organizational sustainability focus the path of maintaining or withstanding technological advancements, market changes, customer expectations, and employee needs. As innovations and developments occur in a rapid way, in banking sectors, enrichment and enhancement of work force according to the needs of future jobs is the major challenge. Future jobs and learning environment will meet a dramatic change posing difficulties in enriching workforce. Innovative labs are under construction in some banks, to deliver quicker banking solutions that delight the customer. In today's scenario, there is a need for constant skill development, bank can move towards virtual lab for constructing new models and design. According to McKinsey, by 2030, automation will rule the world posing threat for manually operated jobs. To make banking industry into a future sustainable environment, identifying the area for innovation and training workforce accordingly will bring successful solutions in a shorter span of time. This paper tries to analyze what kind of trainings are needed for employees to handle future banking jobs in a sustainable business environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Latin-American Journal of Physics Education is the property of Latin-American Physics Education Network and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Dictamen Libre is the property of Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, technologies that have been widely adopted and used in the field of allied health education in recent years are identified and introduced. These technologies may be distinguished based on education content and approach into the following three categories: online-offline digital education, which uses massive open online courses, CD-ROM, and similar learning tools; mobile learning, which uses mobile phones, tablets, and other devices to connect to the Internet of things; and digital simulation education, which uses virtual reality, virtual patient simulation, serious gaming, and gamification. Preliminary positive findings regarding the effectiveness of using the above technologies have been reported in the literature. Therefore, to better understand the impact of new technology, it is recommended that relevant medical/nursing educators should continue introducing practical courses to evaluate their impact on learning. However, funding limitations and the declining birthrate / population aging are two key threats to education that remain to be effectively addressed and overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of College of Education / Wasit is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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. 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 f ace-to-face lab preparation. It is important to include more interactive multimedia and short online videos in the design of the virtual experiments. Recommendations 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Facultad de Ingeniería - UPTC is the property of Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia, Facultad de Ingenieria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Students education in various fields (such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is constantly looking for ways and techniques on how to motivate students to learn, how to increase their engagement and how to increase the e ciency of knowledge acquisition. Information and communication technologies are developing at a very rapid speed and o er many new opportunities that could be used for such purposes. This paper focuses on virtual laboratory technologies that could be very helpful for these learning problems especially for subjects that lose the interest of young people. We have conducted two pilots at a Slovak secondary school and university to analyse the usability of self-directed learning applied to teach networking topics such as software-defined networking and network functions virtualisation. This learning approach was enhanced by a developed virtual lab and a set of self-tests. Knowledge tests and questionnaires have been used to investigate the impact of this self-directed virtual lab-based learning approach on students motivation to learn, feelings, satisfaction with learning approach and knowledge gain. The results showed that students appreciated the virtual laboratory for improving learning and their motivation to learn and their knowledge acquisition was noticeably improved when the virtual lab was included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of News of Kazakhstan Science / Novosti nauki Kazahstana is the property of NCSTE (JSC National Center for State Scientific and Technical Evaluations) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual laboratory activities are flexible approaches to engage undergraduate students in scientific practices during the COVID‐19 pandemic. By utilizing online simulations, students can conduct virtual experiments on important biochemical reactions that occur during photosynthesis. The learning module described here provides students with this experience and was implemented for first‐year students in a virtual summer bridge program. It introduces new biochemistry majors and nonmajors to the discipline, and it is based on an in‐person photosynthesis laboratory module taught for the summer bridge program before the emergence of COVID‐19. This virtual laboratory module can be readily adapted for use during the academic year in introductory biochemistry courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant advances in cloud computing technology and the ubiquity of consumer electronics devices, such as, tablets and smart phones, which are connected to the Internet have made it possible to develop flexible and cost effective virtual lab systems to support online learning courses that require a computer laboratory component. In this paper, the authors describe their experience of designing and using a virtual computer lab for teaching an online business analytics class. The virtual lab provides an opportunity for students to do hands-on assignments in navigating business data warehouses, creating data cubes, writing SQL queries, creating dashboards and other visualizations, writing reports, and using descriptive and predictive models for data mining. The authors describe alternative cloud architectures for designing virtual labs and discuss their criteria for selecting the optimal deployment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to report and discuss the use of a virtual lab for developing achievement in electronic circuits for hearing-impaired students. Results from a number of studies have proved that the virtual lab allowed students to build and test a wide variety of electronic circuits. The present study was implemented to investigate the effectiveness of virtual lab in improving hearing-impaired students' understanding of concepts and their skills in handling electronic circuits. The experimental work was carried out in the electronic computing department at Mansoura vocational preparatory schools for hearing-impaired students in Egypt. The results clearly revealed the effectiveness of the virtual lab in improving students' achievement and practical skills with respect to handling electronic circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High demands for technology increase every day. These demands required expert engineers with high skills to keep up with technology demands. Engineering departments need to responded for this requirement to develop their educational methods. researchers began to develop educational methods and measure their effectiveness. This paper develops an educational method to educate microprocessor course. The educational model mixed the spiral method and project based learning to achieve the desirable goal. Educational activities used in the educational method like lecture, lab and project. also, virtual lab developed to achieve better learning performance. The proposed educational method evaluated in two ways. First, statistical analysis for student's scores shows significant differences and improvement in the learning outcome. second, students survey shows very positive impact on students learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Investigación Agraria y Ambiental is the property of Revista de Investigacion Agraria y Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper the characteristics of the Joint Training program established in SENA, conceived as a training model implemented at the Centro de Electricidad y Automatización Industrial, CEAI, are described. This program allows deliver training in industrial automation over the Internet or Intranet. It enables the development of learning activities students enrolled in training courses of engineering institutes of higher national or international training, counterparts with SENA, using technological resources through the Web. A ratio of the structure established for the operation of this program and the learning activities to date is made. This paper is focused to share this experience with the educational community and to invite them for participating in this program. It is hoped, in the future, to form a large network of Latin American knowledge through which they can share experiences about teaching technical vocational training in automation of industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]