Middle School Students' Application of Science Learning From Physical Versus Virtual Labs to New Contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7167181 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dana Gnesdilow (0000-0001-8977-6187, Wisconsin Center for Education Research School of Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison Wisconsin USA, corresponding author), Sadhana Puntambekar (0000-0002-7102-0127, Department of Educational Psychology University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison Wisconsin USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 109 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1177-1194 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.21953 |
| OpenAlex | W4407059614 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 78 |
Even though virtual labs help students learn science content, little is known about how well students can later apply this learning to other contexts or tasks when compared to students who performed physical labs. The goal of this study was to understand how students who perform physical versus virtual labs were able to later apply what they learn to a new context and a more intricate physical lab. We also explored whether reducing the complexity of the physical lab, by setting up the apparatus before students conducted experiments, supported students' learning of physics concepts and relationships when compared to students who performed a virtual lab. Using a quasi‐experimental research design, we randomly assigned 26, seventh and eighth grade classes from seven teachers' classes into two conditions, the virtual or pre‐set‐up physical pulley lab conditions. Using data collected from 385 students and 188 groups, we found that students who were in the virtual lab condition learned significantly more about the mechanics of pulleys than students in the physical lab condition as assessed by a content knowledge pre to posttest. We also found that students in the virtual condition performed better on answering and explaining a real‐world scenario application question and took no longer to set up a more complex pulley system in small groups than students in the physical condition. We discuss limitations, implications, and directions for future research
Context (archaeology) · Mathematics education · Multimedia · Physical science · Science education · Set (abstract data type) · Virtual lab · Virtual Laboratory · Computer Science · Experimental Learning in Engineering · Innovative Teaching Methods · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology
Contextualization in the Assessment of Students’ Learning About Science
Quantifying Qualitative Analyses of Verbal Data
Global Patterns in Students’ Views of Science and Interest in Science
Physical and Virtual Laboratories in Science and Engineering Education
The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education
Learning from physical and virtual investigation
Watching a hands-on activity improves students’ understanding of randomness
Learning electric circuit principles in a simulation environment with a single representation versus “concreteness fading” through multiple representations
The Best of Two Worlds
Rethinking the classroom science investigation
From feeling forces to understanding forces
Supporting middle school students’ science talk
Under which conditions are physical versus virtual representations effective? Contrasting conceptual and embodied mechanisms of learning
Is physicality an important aspect of learning through science experimentation among kindergarten students
Cognition in Practice
Making Space
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |