Computer Based Learning in a Science Classroom:
Investigating Online Activities, Virtual Labs, and Online Communication
by
Harpal Dhaliwal
A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
MASTERS OF EDUCATION
In
The Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
(Technology Studies)
(Digital Learning and Curriculum Cohort)
THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
(Vancouver)
May 2012
© Harpal Dhaliwal, 2012
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Table of Contents
Introduction – The Start of My Journey
Pages 3 to 4
My Philosophy of Teaching
Page 4 to 5
Using Technology for Teaching 21st Century Learning
Pages 5 to 7
My Project – Online Activities, Virtual Labs, and Online Communication
Pages 8 to 33
School Demographics and Class Profile
Pages 8 to 10
Engaging students through online activities
Pages 10 to 16
Ethical Consideration – Plagiarism
Pages 17 to 20
Virtual labs in the science classroom
Pages 20 to 29
Using technology to increase communication
Pages 30 to 33
Conclusion and Rationale
Pages 34 to 38
References
Pages 39 to 40
Appendix
Pages 41 to 45
Appendix A, Symbiosis Worksheet
Page 41
Appendix B, Timeline for this Project
Page 42
Appendix C, Ownership and Authorship Lesson
Pages 43 to 45
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Introduction - The Start of My Journey
During the last thirteen years of my teaching career, I have seen the computer
technology industry explode and change faster than ever. Online communication has evolved
from e-mail to various social networks, and the size of computers has shrunk from bulky
desktop computers to iPads and compact mobile devices. Computer size may be shrinking, but
the space to put information on computers and on the World Wide Web is ever increasing. The
world is changing in the 21st century, and as a result some of the teaching methods used in
schools need to change as well in order to keep up with the real world. Students need to learn
more technology based skills to help them become better equipped for jobs in this century. As
an educator, I am interested in learning more about these technology skills, and that was the
determining factor as to why I signed up for the Digital Learning and Curriculum program (DLC)
at the University of British Columbia.
Prior to entering the DLC program, my use of computer technology was very limited. I
did not use programs beyond e-mail, report card programs, word processing, and videos. Over
the past two years in the DLC program, I have made huge leaps in the amount of technology
that I incorporate into my teaching. I have witnessed some of the capabilities and benefits of
technology. The immediate benefits I noticed were that students had fun and they had a wider
breadth of learning experiences. They learned how to use new computer software and the
students were able to explore topics in science like they had never experienced before.
There were three specific technologies that I focussed on for my technology project over
this past year. The first was online activities, in which students played games, looked at videos
and other multimedia, and used various presentation softwares. The second technology was
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the use of virtual labs for the purpose of conceptualization of science processes, use as pre-lab
activities, and discovery/inquiry learning. Finally, I used online communication programs, such
as blogs, wikis, and a teacher website to increase interaction between and with students. I
used these three technologies with the intent that my students would learn the required
curriculum outcomes better and become exposed to some of the 21st century learning skills.
During the completion of my project, my main goal was to find out how to use
technology to benefit my teaching practice and to enhance student learning. As I introduced
new computer applications to my students, I assessed how well the different technologies
supported the curricular outcomes of the courses that I teach. So far, I have mostly done
qualitative assessment and I have found that most of my students are usually on-task, they are
learning the required curricular outcomes, and enjoy many of the online activities. This was
evident from my observations and the technology survey that my students recently completed.
In addition, I have also done some quantitative assessment in which I compared assignment
marks of this year’s class with past years. Both types of assessment supported the benefits of
the online activities that I assigned to my classes.
My Philosophy of Teaching
I believe that students should have opportunities to extend their learning beyond the
basic curriculum knowledge. Students should not just be taught to do well on tests, but also be
able to practically apply what they have learned. This will lead to a higher level of learning and
allow students to recall and use information better. I believe the use of computers will allow
students to further explore and learn about our world in more detail than ever before. Most of
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my students are digital natives, so they are quite comfortable with using computers and
seemed to enjoy learning on them.
I have always believed that students will learn better when they get to physically
manipulate something or experience through their senses. That is why I do many
demonstrations and lab experiments in my science classes. Learning through observations and
one’s senses is a very important part of scientific inquiry. Students get extra opportunities to
learn through their senses with the use of computers. The programs that are available on
computers now, allow students clearer visualization of science processes. For example, there
are better simulations, diagrams, graphic organizers, visual models, and videos. Many
programs allow students to see abstract objects in motion. For example, in an online electric
circuit building lab, students can actually see electrons moving in the electric circuit they build.
This makes the experience more powerful because they get to conceptualize electron
movement which is impossible to see in a lab activity or a demonstration. Computers can
provide students with increased opportunities to further explore topics than what they would
traditionally experience with notes, labs, and activities in my class.
Using Technology for Teaching 21st Century Learning
As technology and automation in the world continues to improve, the skill sets of
workers is also going to change. I think it is important to recognize and keep up with these
changes in our K-12 education system as well, so that students will adjust better to life after
high school. I plan to use computer technologies as an additional support to teaching the
curricular learning outcomes. Additionally, I also want to use technology to teach some of the
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skills that are important to 21st century learners. Some of these skills include production of
work to demonstrate learning, critically analyzing online information, and increasing
participation through online communication.
I have a very student centered perspective for learning. I believe that students will learn
more if they are able to do activities on their own and produce work, as opposed to just doing
worksheets to regurgitate information back to the teacher. I believe the teacher should take a
more advisory role in the education process by acting more as a facilitator or guide. In this era
of the 21st century, perspectives regarding knowledge are changing from teaching students to
memorize declarative knowledge, to teaching students to transform knowledge and to get
deeper meaning from that knowledge (Jenkins, 2006). One way to achieve this would be to
have students produce more work on their own and then demonstrate their learning through
communication with others. In this manner, students will be more actively engaged in
producing their own work and they will also be able learn from others.
Computers allow students to find a wealth of information via the Internet and provide
many programs for students to organize and present their information. Finding and filtering
information might be a new skill for some of my students because traditionally the teacher
usually decided what information the students are to study. To make this process smoother, I
am teaching my students media literacy skills to help them find reliable and useful sources of
information. For example, I have shown students several reliable websites that have accurate
and grade level appropriate information. In contrast, we have also examined several websites
that are not reliable since they display information not supported by scientific evidence.
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Students have used these new skills in completing digital projects. I have found that my
students are thinking more critically when searching for online information and as a result, they
have improved in finding accurate information. Evidence of this has been displayed in digital
projects and presentations that students have done throughout the year.
I am also taking advantage of the communication applications, such as blogs, which
have increased participation in my classroom. Since most of my students are digitally savvy and
often engage in online communication via Facebook and Twitter, online discussions are a
practical way for them to communicate with each other. With the use of computers, I have
noticed that both our online and offline discussions involve more students and a wider scope of
information. The blogs have allowed all to participate in discussions and this is especially
helpful to the quieter students who maybe more hesitant to reply in offline discussions. The
students also have a greater choice in the information that they can find online which has
increased discussions between them, both online and offline. Since using online
communication with my classes, I am very pleased to see how well the students are
collaborating and learning from each other.
My Project – Online Activities, Virtual Labs, and Online Communication
Computer technologies can provide extra learning opportunities for students because of
the vast amount of computer applications available today. I would like to use online activities
to better engage students in order to make learning more meaningful. I would also like to
make learning more interactive for students by increasing communication and collaboration
amongst students. Currently, I am using three types of online activities to accomplish my goals:
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1. Engaging students through online activities
2. Virtual labs in the science classroom
3. Using technology to increase communication
Before I get into the details about my project, I would like to give some information about
the demographics of my school and information about my classes. My school and class profile
had an influence on some of the choices I made when designing my technology incorporated
activities.
School Demographics and Class Profile
The project was designed for my science classes at Aldergrove Community Senior
Secondary (ACSS). It is a high school located in Aldergrove, British Columbia, which is part of
the township of Langley. Neighbouring cities are Langley City, Abbottsford, and Lynden,
Washington. The township is a rural community and has a population of approximately 12, 000
people. Our socio-economic statistics from a 2006 census show that 21% of the students come
from a family with a gross income under $30,000. I have to be considerate to the fact that
there is a digital divide that lies between our students. There are students that have more
advanced technology at home than we have at our school, whereas other students have very
little access to technology. The statistics also show that 21% of the students come from single
parent households and only 7% of the families have parents with a Bachelor degree or higher.
Therefore, the social needs of students are also very diverse. The 2011/2012 school year
enrolment for ACSS is 651 (369 males and 282 females).
The classes I teach and designed the project for are: Science 9 (15 students), Science 10
Adapted (16 students), and two Chemistry 12 classes (42 students). I focussed my project trials
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and technology implementation mainly with my Science 9 class, since they are the youngest
group in our school. This will allow me to carry through and continue incorporating technology
with these students in future grades. Out of the 15 students in Science 9, two of the students
have missed most of the school year due to personal issues. Also, there are two students that
have special learning designations. One of these students is extremely bright but has difficulty
writing and communicating online with others due to autism. There is a full time special
education associate (SEA) that works with this student. The other student with a special
learning designation is a lower functioning student who has learning disabilities related to
reading and writing. The class is made up of five boys and ten girls. This Science 9 class has an
unusually small number for a class size at our school. This worked in our favour since we only
had 10 laptops and 2 desktop computers available in our classroom.
Technology has been limited in our school in the years past, but there was a strong
commitment from the school to work on a technology plan in the 2010/2011 school year. The
committee was headed by the vice principal and the principal and there were several teachers
involved as well. The focus was on appropriate use of technology in the school as opposed to
banning certain technologies such as cell phones. Another major initiative was to have wireless
access throughout the school through one common network, and this has now been achieved.
The school has also updated its computer lab, giving the school four accessible computer labs,
of which only one lab can be signed out by teachers. The other three labs have been
designated specifically for Planning, IT, and for Business classes. The school is continuing its
commitment to providing more technology by purchasing more computers. Our science
department has received grants and has been able to purchase twenty laptops this year which
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have been primarily used by another teacher and myself. From this grant, I also received a
laptop tablet that comes with a built-in writing pen.
Engaging Students through Online Activities
Now that there is more technology available, I would like to use it to increase the learning
opportunities available to my students. I have started using more online activities so that
students can practice, learn, and explore topics in further detail. These activities have included
games, videos, and electronic presentations and they have been used to support learning of
science concepts and the curricular outcomes.
Online teaching is set-up in a variety of ways. Some online teaching sites are set-up to
display only lecture information while others focus on class assignments. These types of sites
display information that could be helpful to students, but they don’t engage students. Many
leading psychologists, such as Jean Piaget, have demonstrated that activity is a required part for
learning. Piaget’s Learning Theory shows learning should be active and constructive (Piaget,
cited in About.com.psychology, 2011). Whether online or offline, learning activities that allow
students to actively participate have been proven to enrich learning (Bonwell, 2000).
Computer activities have opened some doors for increasing student participation
because objects can be moved and manipulated (Price, 2004). For example, movement of
airplanes cannot be seen or manipulated in a classroom because of the physical space
constraints, but it is possible with a computer simulation. Such an activity would provide
students with added stimulation and interaction because they would be able to better visualize
and experience what is happening. This could be very beneficial to students learning science
processes, such as motion in Physics. For example, when doing a Physics problem on the
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movement of an airplane, a virtual simulation of the airplane flying could allow students to
observe multiple concepts of flight such as velocity, range, air friction and gravity. More
concepts related to the motion of the plane could be experienced with the computerized
visualization as opposed to doing a similar problem on a worksheet. Over the past school year,
my students have used several Chemistry and Biology websites that contain visual activities to
support what they learned in class. Besides learning from the games, they also had fun in the
process.
In Chemistry, my Science 9 students played a game to test their knowledge of various
chemicals on the website http://funbasedlearning.com/chemistry/elemQuiz/default.htm . This
was a good starter activity in the Chemistry Unit because it provided me feedback as to how
much background information the students had. The students posted their scores on the chat
in our WordPress blog, allowing for some friendly competition. Students were engaged and
had fun. The activity also allowed everyone to participate since they were working on
individual computers. If I had done a similar start-up activity offline, the overall participation
would probably not be as high because not everyone always gets a chance to speak.
In Biology, the Science 9 students enjoyed learning from a DNA base pairing game on
the website http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/dna_double_helix/about.html .
Students had to assemble DNA molecules to build three different organisms. Rather than just
being told how the four DNA base pairs fit together or practicing on a piece of paper, students
got to play a game to practice putting base pairs together (Figure 1). Before they started the
game, they completed a helpful online tutorial which illustrated what a DNA molecule in an
organism looks like and it also explained what to do in the game (Figure 2).
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Figure 1. The game in the above
picture required students to assemble
the base pairs to make a DNA
molecule for three different
organisms. There is also scoring to
allow for some friendly competition
between students.
Figure 2. The tutorial showed more
detailed pictures than the game and
explained how the genetic code of
DNA molecules is assembled to makeup an organism.
Another advantage of the DNA game was that it reduced prep time for me, as the teacher. If I
had tried to set up a similar offline activity, I would have had to photocopy, collect scissors and
glue sticks, and explain instructions. The game was definitely useful because even months
later, most students remembered how DNA molecules are arranged. Students inherently learn
what they are drawn toward and retain knowledge when they internalize and relate to the
content (Ericksen, 1984, cited in Bonwell, 2000).
Besides interactive games, another advantage of computer technologies is the ease of
collecting, manipulating and creating work. In this process, students are involved in reflection,
which can enhance learning (Price, 2004). However, with the vast wealth of information
available on the Internet, finding the desired information can be challenging for many students.
My students sometimes find information that is too advanced for them, which creates
frustration. This can be sub-optimal for learning, thus requiring frameworks for navigation to
be provided by the teacher (Cairncrossa, 2001). A framework for navigating the topic, like a
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web quest or a list of resources, has helped my students at times. In my Science 9 blog site, I
posted some reliable sites that students can browse through to find information,
http://www.dlc-ubc.ca/wordpress_dlc_mu/dhaliwalscience/science-news/instructions/ . This
has been helpful in the Science News section of the blog. In addition, we have brainstormed
keywords, allowing students to narrow their searches. Students have been pretty competent in
finding accurate and age appropriate information. Therefore, the frameworks that I have
provided so far have helped my students stay on track and find reliable information.
With this reliable information, students should be able to synthesize, transform,
produce new work, and then communicate that information (Jenkins, 2006). These are some of
the skills at the forefront of 21st century learning and they are an alternative way for students
to display their understanding other than just tests. In the past, my students have used
presentation programs such as Power Point and Prezi when making projects. Over the past
year, I have tried Smart Board software. The students enjoyed using the Smart Board software
because it was something different, and it was user friendly. I had my grade 9 students make a
chemical element project using a Facebook template downloaded from the Smart Board online
website (Figure 3). I had my Science 10 Modified class do a biome travel brochure using a
Facebook template (Figure 4).
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Figure 3. These three pictures
represent a sample element project on
Helium that was done by a Science 9
student. The project used a Facebook
template downloaded from Smart
Board.
Figure 4. This is a sample biome
project done by a Science 10 modified
student. The template shows
information, pictures and relations
that the student found in regards to
the biome.
Dhaliwal 15
Overall, students showed evidence of the required learning outcomes, but in a way that was
more engaging to them. They also were comfortable and showed enthusiasm when they
presented their work to their classmates.
Online activities should be designed to make learning interactive for students
(Cairncrossa, 2001). For some designs, the multimedia types used are very limiting to student
learning styles and may limit learning for some students (Cairncrossa, 2001). For example,
some students who learn well visually may prefer text and diagrams, whereas other learner
types may prefer simulations. Providing a variety of types of multimedia is a way to
accommodate the wide range of learner needs. For example, I used a variety of types to teach
symbiotic relationships in my Science 10 Biology lesson. I started my lesson by lecturing and
providing notes for six types of symbiosis. We then watched seven downloaded YouTube clips
(Figure 5) and students completed an attached worksheet (Appendix A) in which they had to
identify the type of symbiosis. In this activity, students were exposed to visuals and sound, and
were actively finding answers using the lesson notes. Students commented that they enjoyed
the lesson and they demonstrated that they learned the material well, as evident by their
worksheet scores. The average mark was 86% and these same students did really well in the
symbiosis section of the Biology Final Exam.
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Figure 5. This is a screenshot that
shows the first YouTube video that I
used in the symbiosis assignment with
my Science 10 class.
There are drawbacks to online learning, but these drawbacks seem to result from poor
design and not as a result of using technology. A major ethical issue that I have encountered in
the past with online activities is that students have plagiarized work from online sites.
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Ethical Consideration - Plagiarism
Plagiarism has become much easier for students through the vast amount of
information available through the Internet, and the ease of cutting and pasting. As a teacher, I
have caught students cutting and pasting from online materials directly from sites. When giving
out the instructions to assignments, I explicitly tell students to write out things in their own
words and not to plagiarize. Unfortunately, many ignore this message and instead are just
looking for the fastest and easiest way to complete their assignment. Some students still feel
that if they find and collect the relevant information, it should be okay for them to paste it into
their assignment. It is not okay and it is important for students to realize that. The should also
know that in higher education students are often required to submit essays to sites such as
Turnitin.com for pre-analysis of potential plagiarism.
Upon reflecting on this issue, I have made some adjustments to deal with plagiarism.
First of all, I think it is very important to understand how students think about online
information. Some of my students feel that is completely okay to illegally copy or download
anything that is available online. My students often justify their illegal actions by saying that
they do not have enough money to pay for the legal downloads. However, just because it is
online, it doesn’t mean that it is acceptable for anyone to copy and take ownership of that
information. I plan to discuss ownership and authorship with concrete examples in my classes.
In Figure 7, there is a sample power point of how one could do this. If you are viewing this
project in Microsoft word, click on the link to below or see appendix if you are viewing as a pdf.
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Figure 7. Some key points to discuss with students in
regards to ownership and authorship of online materials.
In the past, I didn’t assign many research projects in class because the resources, mainly
computers, were often not available. Now that our department has 20 new laptops, I am
assigning more projects and getting students to produce more work electronically. I realize that
there are some strategies that I can use in order to get them to produce their own authentic
projects. Some research suggests that the best strategy against plagiarism is proper instruction
and appropriately designed assignments (Mclafferty, 2004). Students can easily copy and
paste many types of assignments these days with all the “paper mill sites” available. They could
easily take the information and put it into an essay format, or even into a presentation format
such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Smart Board, or Prezi. With the World Wide Web today,
collecting information is not the challenge faced by students anymore. The challenge is to be
able to demonstrate how that information can be translated into meaningful and useful
information.
There are strategies to prevent students from copying and pasting assignments. One
strategy that I use is to ask a variety of questions regarding a topic of interest instead of just a
“what is it” type of question. The “what is it” type of question only asks students to find
declarative knowledge and that can easily be found through Internet searches. From my
experience, I find these types of questions can actually encourage students to copy from the
internet because students are not required to think. I want my students to critically think about
Dhaliwal 19
what they are learning about. For that reason, I have changed many of my assignments and
projects in recent years. For example, in my Science 10 class, I assign a project on continental
drift theory. I ask students to find information in support of the theory as well as information
that refutes the theory. I also ask students which views scientists have on the theory today and
what students think will happen to the movement of our plates in the future. By asking “what
others think” and “what do you think” types of questions, students must apply what they have
learned.
Research also states that increasing student interest by creating engaging assignments
broken up into smaller parts rather than one larger, overwhelming project also leads to a
reduction in copied work (McLafferty & Foust, 2004). I haven’t tried this yet, but I will keep
this in mind for the next time I assign a big project. Another way that students could
demonstrate the authenticity of their work is through class presentations. I understand that
some students get nervous during presentations, but they provide the teacher with further
assessment as to how well the student has grasped the material. Overall, I have found that
students learn better and more thoroughly when they have to critically think about their
assignments.
Students also should learn to cite information and use that information to show
meaning and understanding (Ma, 2008). I have recently looked at the site Turnitin.com, which
allows teachers to easily check for academic misconduct. I was quite amazed as to how the site
shows percentages of the information taken from a specific reference. This would be very
beneficial in checking for academic misconduct. Students should be aware and be shown sites
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like Turnit.com so that they realize that copying can be easily checked. McLafferty and Foust
(2004) suggest showing sample work to students and requiring them to decide if the work was
copied or not. Making students aware of some of the ways of detecting online copying should
hopefully deter many students from trying it.
Over this past year, I have used many types of multimedia to increase engagement in
the classroom. Students were exposed to games, videos, and various presentation softwares.
Most students found using the online activities to be fun, interactive, and helpful to what they
were learning. I found that these activities were beneficial to students because the students
were exposed to extra stimuli that allowed them to better relate to what they were learning.
Virtual Labs in the Science Classroom
Virtual labs are another type of online activity which I began using this year. Simulations
are being used by many professions for training purposes and many research articles provide
several benefits of using virtual labs in learning. Most hands on labs already include so much
technology and automation, so scientists need to be proficient in operating various computer
softwares. Virtual labs could be one way to get future scientists to practice some of these
computer operating skills. Recently, I have tried a few virtual labs with my students. The first
lab I did was an online virtual mitosis lab that I did in my grade 9 science class. It went quite
well, as students were engaged and met the required learning outcomes. This motivated me
to try more virtual labs with all my classes and figure out how to effectively use virtual labs for
science teaching. I have done a comparison of virtual labs with traditional hands-on labs and I
have found that they work well when used in conjunction with each together.
Dhaliwal 21
Science laboratories are a central part of science education and provide for rich learning
opportunities for students (Hofstein, 2003). With the recent advances in software technology,
some teachers are switching from using hands-on labs to virtual labs. Some of these virtual labs
allow students to replace hands-on lab activities with simulations and they can provide
students with new learning opportunities (Woodfield, 2010). In the 21 st century, hands-on labs
are increasingly automated and use so much technology that they are becoming virtual labs
(Ma, 2006). Therefore teaching high school students with virtual labs could be beneficial to
them for them in their future, when they are working in laboratories in higher education. In my
trials with virtual labs this year, I have learned about some of the potential learning
opportunities of virtual labs and how they can be effectively used in science education. So far I
have used these labs in three ways: for pre-lab activities, for conceptualization of abstract
concepts in science, and for scientific inquiry and discovery. In evaluating them, I compared
them with some of the traditional hands-on labs that have been done in my science classroom.
“A computer simulation which enables essential functions of laboratory experiments to
be carried out on a computer is called a virtual laboratory” (Harms, 1999, p.3). Many of these
simulations can now be done in 3-D, allowing for an even more realistic lab experience. There
are two types of virtual labs: simulation labs and remote labs. Simulation labs represent
components of a lab experiment but do not represent actual experiments in a realistic way.
Simulation labs can be done to show what is happening or display the results of a real
experiment, but they often do not require students to focus on laboratory techniques. Remote
labs are more closely designed to represent actual experiments. In remote labs, the
experimenter has a chance to manipulate experimental lab equipment to actually do the
Dhaliwal 22
experiment as it would be done offline. Both types of virtual labs provide students with
interaction, with remote labs allowing for more opportunity (Ma, 2006).
Virtual labs offer many advantages over hands-on labs according to some teaching
professionals. Dr. Brian Woodfield, a chemistry professor at Brigham Young University (BYU),
claims that there are many benefits of remote labs at his university. First of all, the labs offer
more student-timetable flexibility because they have the opportunity to do labs at home
through distance learning, which allows them to learn lab techniques without having to attend
labs face to face. He also notes that virtual labs offer students needed lab experience without
the expense of a real lab (Carnevale, 2003). I have seen the benefits of this in Biology class,
where students explored using electron microscopes which are too expensive to buy for high
school. The website used was called Online Labs in Biology and has the following URL,
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/electronmicroscopy/magnify1/index.html. Dr.
Woodfield argues that virtual labs allow students to focus more on thinking because students
do not have to worry about making mistakes in the lab. If a student makes a mistake during
virtual chemistry experiments, there is not any physical danger and this also gives students a
chance to explore processes that they would not be able to do otherwise.
For example in my Science 9 class, students constructed online electrical circuits using
large voltages that could have been dangerous otherwise. The website used was PhET
Simulations, http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc . In this lab
activity, some of the students built circuits that resulted in electrical fires because their circuits
were designed with too much current and voltage. Fortunately for the students, the activity
was done safely because it was online and it taught them about some of the real dangers of
Dhaliwal 23
electricity. I observed that students enjoyed exploring different scenarios in the online
electricity lab. In the future, we could try other virtual labs that may be too dangerous to carry
out in real life. For example in Japan, students learn online how chemicals and equipment are
operated in a nuclear power plant without having to fear radiation exposure (Dalgarno, 2003).
Computer technologies can allow for opportunities to work with real equipment that scientists
use, which would make student learning more relevant.
Some university instructors, from different disciplines of science, claim that virtual labs
offer extra experiences that cannot be offered by offline experiences. For example, in a
University of Arizona microbiology class, virtual labs provided practice in techniques and data
manipulation/interpretation that could not be done in a traditional three hour lab (Raineri,
2001). In chemistry, many students find virtual lab activities can help them learn better about
abstract information that they learn in lectures and in offline lab activities. The virtual labs give
students a chance to visualize and experience chemical processes that could not be explained
by pictures and words alone (Zimmerer, 2003). Virtual labs have a strong emphasis on
conceptualizing the process (Ma, 2006). Understanding the chemical process can sometimes be
ignored during chemistry experiments in my senior chemistry classes. Students are so focussed
on completing the procedure and writing down observations that they are not thinking about
what is happening or why a chemical reaction is occurring. I try to circulate and encourage this
type of thinking with my students, but often most of my time is occupied with safety and
procedural questions. Therefore, I often fill in the gaps by discussing the concepts with my
students before and/or after the lab is complete.
Dhaliwal 24
To encourage conceptual thinking of chemical reactions, I tried a virtual lab as a pre-lab
activity in the equilibrium unit of my Chemistry 12 class. Equilibrium can be a challenging
concept for Chemistry 12 students because they learn that chemical reactions can proceed in
both a forward and reverse direction. Students all did this online lab activity from the website
Chemistry Experiment Simulations;
http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/animations/equilvpBr2V8.html,
http://group.chem. iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/animations/CoCl2equilV8.html,
http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/animations/no2n2o4equilV8.html.
Figures 8 and 9 are example pictures from the above websites to show the visuals that students
were learning from.
Figure 8. Shows the molecular
structure of a cobalt compound
that forms a pink colour in water.
Figure 9. Shows the molecular
structure of two chemical molecules
being reacted and forming in a
chemical equilibrium reaction.
As seen in figures 8 and 9, the lab allowed the students to visualize the equilibrium process
where reactant molecules form product molecules and vice versa. It also allowed students to
see colour changes and the rates at which new molecules are made. After doing this lab,
students had a better conceptual understanding of what is actually happening in the
Dhaliwal 25
equilibrium reactions. Figures 10 illustrates a student conceptualizing molecule formation from
an online lab in order to better understand what is happening in the hands-on lab (Figure 11).
Figure 10. Online, the student observes the
molecular structure and colour of a cobalt
complex in water in order to conceptualize the
formation of the molecule.
Figure 11. In the hands-on experiment, the student
is observing colour changes that will occur after
addition of water and heating, and should know
which molecules are forming during colour change.
Students demonstrated a strong understanding of what happened during the experiment and
they figured out which chemicals were made in equilibrium reactions.
As seen in Figures 10 and 11, a virtual lab can be used as a pre-lab, giving students an
idea as to what they will encounter in the actual experiment (Balamuralithara, 2007). My usual
pre-lab activity requires students to read the lab and maybe answer a few questions. In spite of
this, many students often come into a lab with an unclear understanding of what they are
supposed to be learning. As a result, they end up doing experiments in a “cookbook” fashion
and they do not completely understand the learning objectives. I noticed that virtual labs
helped students understand what is going on in the equilibrium experiment. Evidence of this
Dhaliwal 26
was demonstrated through the improved lab skills and lab report write-ups from last year. This
year’s class and last year’s had a similar make-up of students and class sizes (Figure 12).
Figure 12. The marks on the left are for an equilibrium lab in my 2011 Chemistry 12 class, averaging a mark
of 72.1 %. The marks on the right are for my 2012 Chemistry 12 class, averaging a mark of 85.5%.
The extra pre-lab activity showed improvement from the past year.
Along with the chemistry equilibrium experiment that was previously mentioned, the
hands-on mitosis lab also showed better student performance from years past. In my Science 9
class, students completed a virtual lab from the following websites www.cellsalive.com ,
www.johnkyrk.com, www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html ,
and www.biologycorner.com/flash/mitosis.html . The lab activities allowed students to observe
and practice their lab skills in identifying the different stages in normal cell division, mitosis
(Figure 13). On the following day, students then completed a hands-on mitosis lab examining
onion root cells using a microscope (Figure 14).
Dhaliwal 27
Figure 13. A student is doing a pre-lab
mitosis activity online to prepare for the
hands-on lab.
Figure 14. A student is looking at onion
root cells through a microscope to
observe the various stages of mitosis.
I observed that students were quite independent in following the lab procedures and they were
also able to identify the stages of cell division correctly. This was quite different from previous
year where students really struggled to find the correct cells, leading to frustration.
Virtual experiments can offer a further range of scientific inquiry, including discovery
learning and inquiry learning (Harms, 1999). Discovery and inquiry are important components
in science education (Hofstein & Lunetta, 2003). In my Science 9 class, students did an online
electric circuit lab in which they were asked to think about real-life circuit designs. For
example, they had to determine how batteries and lamps are assembled in circuits and what
the advantages and disadvantages of such an assembly would be. The students were able to
think their way through the lab activities and discover the answers to higher level thinking
questions. In the past, I always had to have time consuming discussions with the students
about these more challenging questions and the other drawback would be that only a few
would participate. This time, with the virtual electricity lab, I did not have to discuss the
Dhaliwal 28
questions as much and everyone participated. This was most likely because the simulations
from the online lab provided the students with an effective visual representation. The most
challenging activity in the lab required the students to construct parallel and series circuit
diagrams (Figures 15 and 16), and then they had to figure out a theory as to how and why the
electric current is different in each circuit. They were able to visually see the current changing
and the electrons moving in the two different virtual simulations, and then made a logical
theory as to why they thought the amount of current changed. Most were able to actually
come up with the correct theory, which was due to the varying resistances in the circuits.
Figure 15. This circuit diagram shows lamps
Figure 16. This circuit diagram shows lamps
arranged in parallel. The electrons are
shown circulating through wires and the
current is 1.80 A.
arranged in series. The electron flow is
slower in this diagram as seen by the
ammeter reading which is 0.45 A.
The visuals and extra experiences offered by virtual labs can allow for more open-ended
problem-solving, which is essentially what real scientists do.
Virtual labs can have some drawbacks as well. Students working on virtual labs often
work in isolation. This results in students losing normal face-to-face interactions with
instructors and other students (Balamuralithara, 2007; Ma, 2006). One way to counteract this
could be to increase social interaction through class discussions, online chats, and blogs. So far
Dhaliwal 29
with the use of virtual labs, I have only had offline class discussions about the lab concepts.
Along with social skills, design skills can sometimes be lost in virtual labs (Ma, 2006). Design
skills involve students setting up an experiment, performing the experiment using scientific
equipment, and then analyzing their results to determine the effectiveness of their experiment.
Hands-on labs are usually more effective for designing and investigating a scientific study,
therefore allowing for better understanding of the nature of science (Ma, 2006). There are also
cases where the hands-on lab cannot be replaced by the virtual lab. In cases where students
are doing dissections or using touch to mix or pour chemicals, the hands-on activities make
learning more relevant (Klahr, 2006). The physical experience of some hands-on labs simply
cannot be replaced. I found that virtual labs are best used for the conceptualization of abstract
concepts, whereas hands-on labs have been most effective for practicing lab skills.
I have used virtual labs in three ways in my science classroom. First of all, virtual labs
have been used to allow my students to better visualize some of the abstract concepts,
especially for chemistry. Secondly, they have provided a means for my students to transfer
their learning into a hands-on lab. Finally, virtual labs have been used in my science classes to
allow students to further inquire, explore, and discover about science processes being taught. I
am pleased with the results of using virtual labs. Students seem to be more engaged, they have
done better written work in their lab reports, and they are learning from the virtual labs. I feel
that virtual labs have a space in my science classes and that is why I plan to continue using
virtual labs in the future.
Dhaliwal 30
Using technology to increase communication
Online communication is being used in my class to increase communication between
students. I am using various technologies like blogs, wikis, and our school server to allow for
further opportunities for student communication. Over the years, I have tried to improve
offline discussions, but an ongoing issue is that everyone does not always participate. In
response to this, I wanted to use technology to increase participation and provide students
another opportunity to learn from each other. Online communication has provided a means for
increased student interaction with each other and with me, their teacher.
A part of online communication that has strengthened collaboration in my classes is the
building of a participatory culture. Participatory culture is well defined by Henry Jenkins,
director of media studies at MIT, and it includes five main points (Jenkins, 2006):
1. Relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
2. Strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others
3. Some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is
passed along to novices
4. Members believe that their contributions matter
5. Members feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care
what other people think about what they have created).
In such a community, Jenkins feels that members are not forced to contribute, but they
all feel that they can contribute freely when ready. I have tried to create a participatory culture
in my classes in an attempt to create a stronger bond between students, so that they feel more
comfortable to share information, values, and goals amongst each other. I feel that this has
Dhaliwal 31
occurred in my Science 9 class because students are working collaboratively through blogs,
wikis, and other online and offline activities.
Vygotsky’s theory of learning shows learning occurs through social interaction
(Vygotsky, 1978, cited in Degenarro, 2008). I have increased online interaction by getting
students to post work and allowing them to respond and communicate ideas with each other
through blogs and wikis. Blogs can be a very powerful communication method because
learning involves a whole community of learners, where students can collaborate to solve
problems and acquire new knowledge (Jenkins, 2006). Blogs allow students to socially
construct knowledge, which is one way that humans learn (Vygotsky, 1978 cited in Degenarro,
2001). Blogs and wikis also encourage students to post quality work because they know that
there will be an audience that will view their work (Godwin-Jones, 2003). It is important to
allow for social interaction when doing online activities, so participation should be encouraged.
One of the communication technologies that I am using is a secure blog on a WordPress
site. The blogs have allowed my Science 9 students to make learning more interactive because
they are posting assignments and making critical responses to each other’s assignments. This
has worked particularly well with our science news blog posts, where students have made posts
on interesting articles at the beginning of each unit. For example, students selected and
summarized an online article on mutations in our genetics unit, http://www.dlcubc.ca/wordpress_dlc_mu/dhaliwalscience/science-news/mutations/ . The students were
immediately engaged in the unit because they had the choice to select what was interesting to
them. The chat on this blog was also useful because students could immediately see which
topics the other students had selected, which prevented repeating choices of topics. After they
Dhaliwal 32
posted information online, it led to many interesting online and offline classroom discussions
throughout our genetics unit. The online discussions were done by students replying to each
other’s posts. Ideally all students should benefit because some students may know more about
certain topics allowing for additional learning. The blog has also provided a voice for all
students to express their thoughts, especially the introverted or quieter students.
To further increase student-student interaction, I have added Wikispaces to my website.
So far, the wiki has been mainly used to collectively brainstorm and quickly share ideas with
one another. I found the Wordpress blog more functional for communication than the
Wikispaces because the blog allowed for easier viewing and replying of the posts. One example
where I used wiki was when my Science 9 class started their chemistry unit. Students
brainstormed and posted responses as to where chemical reactions are used in and around our
homes, http://dhaliwalscience9.wikispaces.com/reactions+inside+home . Once again the wiki
allowed everyone to participate which may not have happened in an offline discussion. The
drawback from this activity was that it was time consuming. To save class time, some of these
activities could be done before students come to class.
I found that supporting online activities with offline discussions was beneficial to my
students. Face-to- face activities include social cues and interactions that allow students to
learn from each other and the teacher. In many of the online activities used, I have combined
offline with online communication. For example in Chemistry 12, I used an online virtual lab as
a pre-lab activity, followed by a hands-on lab. Students shared what they learned online with
each other and this helped them during the hands-on lab. As previously stated, the blogs and
Dhaliwal 33
wikis on my website are intended to allow for interaction and learning between students. This
also led to improved offline discussions. For a similar purpose, I have also created another
online space on the school server for students to post their work. I have used a hand-in folder
on our school server as a place for students to hand in their projects. It has given students a
chance to view each other’s work. This has been really valuable for my students because they
can discuss the topics being studied, as wells as the various softwares being used to produce
their work. For example, many students used Smart Board for the very first time and some
students even downloaded videos into their projects. Other students observed this and got
help on how to download videos from the ones that had already posted videos. Posting work
on the school server has allowed for collaboration and I think this will be useful when students
are learning how to use new technologies.
Although I am mainly using online communication to increase student interactions, I
think it also important to increase communication with parents. I have invited parents to
become active members of our learning community by posting daily assignments on my
website to make clear what is for homework and what preparation is needed in the future. As
well, I have increased communication with parents by sending student progress reports via
email. Parent communication has been increased and the feedback that I received from
parents has been positive. Parents have been really appreciative of the online progress reports
and the online activities that have been done in class.
Dhaliwal 34
Conclusion and Rationale
One of my main goals was to determine if increasing computer use in my classroom
would improve student learning. I wanted to use technology with my students in order to
expand and support their learning. So far, the informal feedback I have received about my
website and activities is that they have been user friendly and helpful to students. I have
noticed that students are enjoying the online activities and this is probably because they are
digital natives that live in an online culture. Another reason why the online activities may have
been so successful was that I had small class sizes in this past year. All students had access to
computers which may not be possible with larger classes.
From my observations in the last year, there were many advantages to using more
technology in my classroom. I have noticed a drastic drop in classroom management issues in
all of my classes. Students have generally been on task when doing online activities and the
novelty of using computers has not eroded away. As seen in the student survey, Figure 17,
Science 9 students enjoyed the online activities and found them to be beneficial to learning.
Figure 17. Mr. Dhaliwal’s Science 9 class,
Technology Survey of 12 students.
Y = Yes
N = No
U = Undecided
A) Online Activities
75%Y
67%
83%
83%
58%
8%N
25%
17%
0%
25%
17%U
8%
0%
17%
17%
25%
33%
42%
58%
50%
25%
0%
17%
50%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The online games helped me learn about topics in science.
The online games helped me learn about certain topics in greater detail.
I was engaged when I was playing the online games.
I enjoyed playing the online games.
I learned how to use new software (power point, smart board, prezi) to do
computer presentations.
6. I found the presentation softwares (power point, smart board, prezi) easy to
use.
7. I enjoyed using the presentation softwares.
8. I will use these presentation softwares in the future for other classes.
Dhaliwal 35
B) Virtual Labs (Mitosis, Electrical Circuits, etc.)
100%Y 0 %N
75%
17%
0 %U
8%
75%
0%
25%
25%
75%
42%
8%
33%
17%
1. The virtual labs helped me visualize and learn science concepts better.
2. The virtual mitosis lab helped me better understand what to look for in the
actual microscope lab.
3. The virtual labs allowed me to play and explore topics in a way that I would
not get to when doing an actual hands-on lab.
4. I think virtual labs are better than actual hands-on lab.
5. I enjoyed learning with the virtual labs.
C) Online Communication (Blogs, Wikis, School Server)
75%Y
75%
42%
67%
50%
0%N
0%
17%
17%
25%
25%U
25%
42%
17%
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I had an equal opportunity to participate in online blog discussions.
I always get an opportunity to participate in normal class discussions.
The blogs were an effective way of having discussions with my peers.
I learned new information from reading and commenting to others blog posts.
I enjoyed online communication through our Wordpress blog site (as opposed
to class discussions).
D) Overall
25%Y 8%N
67%U
83%
50%
17%
0%
33%
50%
17%
17%
33%
83%
0%
17%
1. I prefer learning by offline activities (textbook/worksheets) over online
learning assignments.
2. The use of online learning activities has helped me learn science better.
3. I prefer using online learning assignments over offline class activities.
4. The use of online learning activities has not made a difference in learning
science.
5. Overall I enjoyed learning science with computers.
The virtual labs have added a new element to my class, in allowing students to better
conceptualize the abstract concepts in science. From the survey in Figure 17, the majority of
the Science 9 students enjoyed the virtual labs but still prefer doing hands-on labs over virtual
labs. One use of virtual labs was for pre-lab activities before the hands-on labs. In all my
classes, I observed that the virtual labs did improve the hands-on lab skills because students
understood the experiments better. This is evident from the improved student lab report
Dhaliwal 36
write-ups that I have marked, and the increased independence that students demonstrated
when doing science experiments.
One of my original fears was that increased online activity and communication would
limit some of the social interactions within the class. The opposite occurred, as online forums
increased communication between the students and me, the teacher. This has also improved
our offline discussions. In the Figure 17 survey, most my Science 9 students enjoyed the
discussions and felt that they learned new information by participating in the blogs. Overall,
the online activities, the virtual labs, and online communication have made a positive impact to
student learning in my classes over the past year.
From the results that I have seen in this past year with my students, I am definitely in
favour of using the previously mentioned computer applications but with some modifications.
Most of the software that I used this year was free. This was sufficient for junior classes, but
the amount of free software programs available online was limited. Therefore, I am planning
on purchasing software that has virtual labs, specifically remote labs, and activities designed for
my senior students. I will do trials of the programs before I make the purchases since I want to
determine how well the programs align with the curricular needs of my students. Another
change that I will make for next year is to assign more online activities at home, as online
activities can be time consuming. This can only occur if students have access to adequate
computers at home. This is not always the case for students at our school since we are located
in a low socio-economic area. Before assigning online assignments at home, I will have to find
out if students have reliable computers to run the programs in order to avoid a digital divide
Dhaliwal 37
between students, or between home and school. I currently have access to 22 computers and
this may become a problem if I have larger class sizes. In that case, I will have to assign more
online activities at home or make the students double up on the computers in the classroom.
Another concern that I have encountered is that online labs combined with hands-on
labs during class time, takes up twice the time as just doing the hands-on lab alone. After my
experience this year, I have a better grasp of how to manage time for online activities. I will
proactively plan before I select new online activities for my students next year, so that I can
avoid some of the potential problems.
As technology continues to change and improve faster than ever in the 21 st century, I
realize that the education system is going to need to change as well. The British Columbia
Ministry of Education already has plans in the works to drastically change the education system.
There is a strong push from the ministry to use more technology for the purpose of
communication, computing, and ICT literacies. To implement this major change in our current
education system, teachers first need to be trained on how to use these technologies. This can
be difficult if the funding and proper teacher training is not provided by the education system.
I am fortunate that I have had the opportunity to be part of the University of British
Columbia Digital Learning and Curriculum cohort (DLC) because I have been introduced to some
of the skills that will be required for 21st century learning. From this cohort, I have learned that
teacher collaboration and professional instruction are probably the best ways to help
incorporate technology into a high school classroom. With this in mind, I have taken the time to
assist and train other teachers at our school on technology use. Recently, I led a professional
Dhaliwal 38
development workshop on building classroom websites in which 22 teachers attended. We
examined the various uses of websites by looking at an array of teacher websites, including
mine and others from our DLC cohort. Refer to the following link to view some of the workshop
activities, https://mail.sd35.bc.ca/~HDhaliwal/FOV2-000664D7/ . Most of teachers at
workshop liked the idea of posting course outlines, daily assignments, important calendar
dates, and web links into their websites. Some of the other applications seemed too complex
for the limited time that we had for the session. They found the websites were easy to build
and most said that they would have a website built and ready to post by the following week.
We only had six teacher websites posted on our school website prior to the professional
development session. After only three days after the session, we had twelve teacher websites
on our school website,
(http://www.sd35.bc.ca/schools/acss/Lists/Key%20Contacts/AllItems.aspx ). Most teachers
were thankful and planned to continue working on their websites.
I think that teachers will use more computer technologies and applications in the future
because they are noticing the benefits for students. Overall in the past two years, I observed
that the technologies that I used with my students have enhanced student learning and have
been a valuable addition to my teaching practice.
Dhaliwal 39
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Dhaliwal 40
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Dhaliwal 41
Appnedix A
Symbiosis Worksheet
Symbiosis Video Clips Assignment
Name: ____________________
Complete the worksheet as you watch the YouTube clips.
Species involved
Ant + Caterpillar
Clown Fish + Anemone
Wasps + Aphids
Bird + Water Buffalo
Crocodile + Wildebeest
Hyena + Lion
Shape shifting Octopus
+
Plants
Who benefits?
Eg. Both benefit because the
caterpillar gets protection from
the ant, and the ant gets food
from caterpillar.
Who is harmed?
Neither species gets harmed.
Type of Symbiosis?
Mutualism
Dhaliwal 42
Appendix B
My Timeline for My Project
1. To view my timeline for this project visit the following link,
http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/harpal-dhaliwal-digital-learning-final-project
Or view in text form below:
Dhaliwal 43
Appendix C
Ownership and Authorship Power Point Lesson
Dhaliwal 44
Dhaliwal 45