Research Article
Fatimah Alhashem, Abdullah Alfailakawi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep474
ABSTRACT
This research studied the impact of integrating virtual laboratories in chemistry lessons among 22 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in a Bachelor of Education program, focusing on middle and high school science. These participants were systematically divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group. Both groups engaged in the same organic chemistry lesson and subsequent lab session, the only difference being that EG received additional training via a virtual laboratory prior to the hands-on lab session. A survey, conducted both before and after the experiment, was utilized to measure participants’ attitudes towards the use of virtual laboratories. The quantitative data analysis revealed a significant positive shift in EG’s attitudes post-intervention, suggesting that virtual laboratory experiences enhance their learning and engagement. Specifically, participants exhibited improved understanding of the educational methodologies and heightened engagement during the physical lab work. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups concerning the technical aspects of the experiments, implying that the virtual labs’ impact on perspectives about the technical components of a chemistry lab was consistent across both groups. These findings support the view of virtual laboratories as a viable supporting tool for science education, promoting technology integration into teaching practices to meet the demands of 21st century learning outcomes. This research concludes with recommendations for future studies to explore further the implications of virtual labs on various aspects of science education.
Keywords: virtual laboratory, chemistry, organic chemistry, pre-service teacher, training, science education, laboratory
Research Article
Adisti Yuliastrin, Rian Vebrianto, Mery Berlian, Musa Thahir
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 2, Article No: ep420
ABSTRACT
The Open University is a university that has been around for a long time, so that it is able to develop a learning process that demands the development of science and technology, both online and offline independently. Therefore, this study aims to describe and analyze the process and results of the development of a virtual science laboratory to support UT’s role as a pioneer of cyber-university in Indonesia. This research is a development-research that uses the ADDIE model. The instruments used were validation sheets filled in by 64 validators, practicality sheets and effectiveness sheets filled out by 237 respondents. The data analysis used to answer the research objectives was descriptive and inferential statistical tests using the IBM SPSS 23.00 program. The results showed that product development in the form of textbooks based on the virtual laboratory of science met the valid, practical and effective criteria for use in the process learning. The results of this study have implications for stakeholders and teachers to be able to implement this media in a more appropriate and interesting learning process and can be a source of inspiration for conducting current research.
Keywords: developing media, virtual laboratory, science, ADDIE model
Research Article
Amosa Isiaka Gambari, Halima Kawu, Oluwole Caleb Falode
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 3, pp. 246-263
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the impact of virtual laboratory on the achievements of secondary school chemistry students in homogeneous and heterogeneous collaborative settings in Minna, Niger state, Nigeria. Three hypotheses were formulated, analyzed and tested at 0.05 alpha level. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 60 Senior Secondary Class Two (SS II) Chemistry Students. The subjects were stratified along gender and ability levels. Sixty students were randomly selected from two secondary schools in Minna, Nigeria. Thirty students (male, n = 15; female, n = 15) were selected from each school. Pretest, posttest, and experimental group design was employed. Experts validated 20-item multiple-choice Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) was used for data collection. A reliability coefficient of 0.91 was obtained from the pilot testing using Kuder Richardson (KR-20). ANCOVA and Sidak post-hoc statistics were used for testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that: (a) students in homogeneous ability grouping taught Chemistry using virtual laboratory instruction in collaborative setting performed better than their counterpart taught Chemistry in heterogeneous grouping composition; (b) female students in homogeneous group performed better than their counterparts in heterogeneous groups; (c) the higher achiever students in homogeneous groups outperformed those in heterogeneous groups. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the use of virtual laboratory instruction in homogeneous gender and ability level grouping in collaborative setting should be encouraged in teaching practical chemistry at senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
Keywords: Virtual laboratory, Cooperative group composition, Gender, Ability grouping