Effectiveness of a Virtual Laboratory
as a preparatory resource for Distance
Education chemistry students
Presenter: Yun-Ting,Wong
Advisor: Ming-Puu,Chen
Date: 07/29/2009
Barney, D., Andrea, G. B., William, A.& Danny R. B. J.(2009). Effectiveness of a
Virtual Laboratory as a preparatory resource for Distance
Education chemistry students. Computers&Education, 53(3), 853–865.
Introduction(1/3)
• This article reports on studies exploring the effectiveness of a
virtual environment based on a chemistry laboratory as a tool to
prepare university chemistry students studying at a distance for
their on-campus residential schools.
• Many university chemistry students lack confidence and
experience anxiety as they approach their first chemistry
laboratory sessions, especially for students studying at
a distance and undertaking their laboratory sessions at
intensive residential schools(Loonat, 1996).
2
Introduction(2/3)
• This article presents the results of two studies:
1) To test the degree to which learning about the laboratory and
its apparatus using the Virtual Laboratory is equivalent to
face-to-face learning in the actual laboratory.
2) To explore the way in which students made use of the Virtual
Laboratory and the benefits experienced by these students
as they approached their residential school.
• Many undergraduate students studying chemistry subjects at
Charles Sturt University (CSU) do so by ‘Distance Education’
(DE). One of the greatest problems that confronts us is how to
adequately address the teaching of a laboratory component?
(Hollingworth & McLoughlin, 2001; Kennepohl & Last, 2000)
3
Introduction(3/3)
• The main purposes of instructional laboratory sessions include
the teaching of laboratory technique and analytical thinking skills,
as well as connection of the theory with laboratory practice.
Woodfield et al. (2005)
• Humphries and Revelle (1984) suggest that anxiety may
enhance performance on easy tasks while hindering
performance on tasks that are more difficult.
• This article reports on our attempts to address this problem by
providing students with a CD-ROM containing the Virtual
Chemistry Laboratory (Dalgarno, 2008), a simulated 3D
environment developed as an accurate representation of the
teaching laboratories.
4
Method-study1(1/3)
overview
• The purpose of the first study was to evaluate the effectiveness
of the Virtual Laboratory for learning about the spatial structure
of the laboratory and the items of apparatus and equipment
contained within it.
• The participants were undergraduate Information Technology
(IT) students.
Virtual Laboratory Group
Males
Females
Total
Real Laboratory Group
6
7
5
11
4
11
5
Virtual Laboratory-version1
Version of The Virtual Chemistry Laboratory used in Study 1
6
Method-study1(2/3)
Allocated time for each task in Study 1.
Virtual Laboratory Group
Real Laboratory Group
Training
10min
N/A
Exploration
40min
40min
Rest
5min
5min
Test
45min
1h 40min
45min
1h 30min
Total
7
Method-study1(3/3)
• Participants undertook a series of tests on completion of the
learning phase of the study：
1)apparatus identification test -7min
2) a laboratory layout test -6min
3) an apparatus location test -5min
• Prior to beginning the first test, participants completed a
questionnaire containing background questions including
questions about prior study of chemistry.
8
Result-study1(1/2)
Initial analysis
• T-tests comparing the effect of gender on performance.
-not significant
• A factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was undertaken with
group and gender as factors and each of the test scores as
Dependent variables. -not significant
conclusion
• Real Laboratory participants scored on average higher than
Virtual Laboratory participants. However, the difference was not
significant at the 95% level in any of the tests.
• the Virtual Laboratory is an effective tool for gaining familiarity
with the laboratory environment, especially for a student
9
studying at a distance.
Result-study1(2/2)
Test1-apparatus identification
Virtual Laboratory Group
Real Laboratory Group
11
11
Mean
6.91
8.09
SD
2.98
2.88
n
T-test
t = 0.598, df = 20, p = 0.557 (not significant)
Test2- laboratory layout
Virtual Laboratory Group
Real Laboratory Group
11
11
Mean
3.36
3.73
SD
1.43
1.42
n
T-test
t = 0.598, df = 20, p = 0.557 (not significant)
Test3- laboratory layout
Virtual Laboratory Group
Real Laboratory Group
11
11
Mean
6.73
9.05
SD
3.37
1.47
n
T-test
t = 2.089, df = 13.69, p = 0.056 (significant at 90% level)
10
Method-study2
overview
• The second study was designed to assess the usefulness of the
Virtual Laboratory as a preparatory tool for university chemistry
Students studying at a distance, in advance of their residential
school laboratory sessions:
-reduce the anxiety of students
-increase their confidence as they approached the laboratory
-improve their efficiency in the laboratory
• In Autumn session 2004 all distance students studying in one of
the first year Chemistry subjects at CSU were sent a CD-ROM
• All students who attended the residential school in these
subjects were then asked to complete a questionnaire(using a
seven point Likert scale):
-28/95 had used the Virtual Laboratory
-16 students agreed to be interviewed about their experience
Virtual Laboratory-version2
Version of The Virtual Chemistry Laboratory used in Study 2
12
Result-study2(1/3)
• Students were also asked in the questionnaire to list three
barriers to their learning in the laboratory sessions:
1. the lack of time-23 of the 95
2. Problems with mathematical calculations -10 of the 95
(an addition question was added to the questionnaire which was used for the final
residential school group (40 students,33 agreed .Only 6 students listed problems
with their familiarity with apparatus as a barrier.)
conclusion
• Only a minority of the students (29%) chose to use the Virtual
Laboratory, those who did in general found it useful.
• It appears that a lack of familiarity with the laboratory was not
the major source of students’ anxiety or their lack of confidence.
• Teaching staff may be able to address these issues through
additional support for students during their preparation work.
Result-study2(2/3)
This suggests that, the Virtual Laboratory lessened anxiety
and increased the level of confidence of some but not all
students who used it.
Result-study2(3/3)
7th of 10
Discussion(1/2)
• The Virtual Laboratory can be an effective tool to help
students develop their familiarity with the laboratory environment
prior to their laboratory sessions.(help to address the identified
problems of a lack of confidence and a sense of anxiety)
• The fact that students will often focus on learning tasks
associated with the assessment and ignore optional tasks even
if such tasks may have clear potential learning benefits
(see, for example Biggs & Moore,1993; Diederen et al., 2005).
Discussion(2/2)
• During the study, mathematical calculations and ability to
apply the chemistry concepts within practical tasks in the
laboratory are the major problem-1) Virtual Laboratory included simulated experiments
2) provided support or scaffolding
• It may be that the incorporation of some of the material from
these other resources into the Virtual Laboratory would also
increase its usefulness to students.
• Age is not the key determinate of the learning problems
experienced by students nor of their preference for particular
learning resources.
• Students should be provided with a range of learning
opportunities.