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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION
VIRTUAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY: EFFECT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Zeynep Tatlı, Alipasa Ayas
NAME OF PUBLISHER
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE
YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2012
LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION
English
PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY
Web Article
TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION
Researchers, Teachers
SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION
Over 10 pages
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS
The lab experiments both supply a new perspective and create a new angle for the classes. At the beginning, they were used in order to affirm theoretical information. However, recently, they have become the places in which students gain knowledge as a person or people. With the help of the virtual laboratories showing various rules in a free way, the relationship between has become 7/24 independent from time and place. This article illustrates a study which provides readers with insight in the properness of Virtual and real laboratory applications on constructivist learning environment implementing interactive virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) improvement was used in academic year of 2009-2010 for a six week duration. The study was carried out with 90 students from three different 9th grade classrooms of an Anatolian Secondary School in the center of Trabzon city. The teams of students were discriminately made as one experimental and two control teams. The data gathering tools of the study were; questionnaire of teaching philosophy (QTP), Semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations. The results illustrated that virtual chemistry laboratory software was just as effectual as real chemistry laboratory and it impacted the assistance of constructivist learning environment in a positive way; It was figured out that the students in experimental teams carried out experiments as precise as the real ones; they thought themselves to be safe while they were doing experiments; they could associate the experiments with casual life; they had the opportunity to examine both macro-molecular and symbolical experiments dimensions of the experiments. It was anticipated that using virtual chemistry laboratories as a supportive complement in education will become a critical instructional material in the context of both the financial situation of the nation and the persistence of the learning.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION
This paper shows a study that gives the readership a perspective in accordance with Virtual and real laboratory implementations on constructivist learning environment implementing interactive virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) improvement was used in academic year of 2009-2010 for a six week duration. The instruments used in the study such as questionnaire of teaching philosophy (QTP), Semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations can support the main goal of the study. The results showed that the software used in laboratories is as effective as the real one. It affected positively the constructivist learning environment in terms of its helping. Via this software, the children considered they were safe when they were carrying out experiments in the laboratories. The students who do experiments can connect these experiments with the real world. The main feature of this software is that it assists the teacher in creation of a constructivist learning environment and laboratory parts which considers that the students are at the centre and prevent the student from being passive within the process. So these situations give benefits in that the readers including chemistry teachers can trust this software easily. The study is very informative, because it gives a lot of information about the other approaches, which can answer the questions in the mind of the chemistry teachers about why they use this software.
PDF OF THE PUBLICATION
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
Kırıkkale University

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2014.04.03

Posted by Beata Brestenská (Slovakia)

Message: Message: Authors shows that a virtual chemistry laboratory application can aid the teacher in implementing a constructivistic teaching approach. Virtual laboratory is definitely beneficial for schools that do not have facilities for the real experiments In this way. The approach can be very useful in teaching chemistry, because results of its implementation can be impressive, with small costs and cheap maintenance. Publication show that students tend to find the virtual chemistry laboratory approach as a more enjoyable experience relative to the traditional real laboratory experience. Results presented in the publication shows how the constructivist approach gives student the duty of being active during learning process and it gives teachers the mission of organizing the process and guiding.Publication is relevant with the aim of the Chemistry is All Around Network project and it does provide a suggestion to teachers on how to facilitate the implementation of the constructivistic teaching approach which seems to gain more and more importance in all partners countries, but virtual laboratory couldn’t substitute practical experience of real laboratory and chemical experiments made with students own hands.

Date: 2014.04.01

Posted by Milena Kirova (Bulgaria)

Message: The article presents a very good practice for application of ICT in chemical education, which in the course of the study is demonstrated by the data collection, processing and analysis. An experimental study of the Virtual Chemistry Lab 9 on the topic chemical changes is described. It presents an effective technique for the inclusion of a virtual laboratory for the implementation of constructivist approach through strategy prediction-observation-explanation. The obtained results show that the use of virtual lab improves students’ results. Especially important it is to change the teaching philosophy of the teacher. Through the use of virtual chemical laboratory achieves a higher level of constructivist classroom learning environment. Meanwhile, by examining the performance of the control groups some difficulties in teaching chemistry in school are revealed.
The proposed research in the article is a very good example of the application of ICT in school chemical laboratory. The greatest problem in this case is the need for custom programming to make and use such resources.
To me as a researcher and lecturer this article is very useful with the presented virtual laboratory, and the methods of the study. I had the opportunity to compare this resource with those being developed and the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Sofia.

Date: 2014.04.01

Posted by Daniela Petrova (Bulgaria)

Message: This source describes a study that was conducted with 90 students from 9th grade at Anadolu High School in the town of Trabzon . Students are divided into three teams working in virtual chemical laboratory for six weeks. Publication is interesting because the results of such a study show the advantages and disadvantages of implementation of virtual chemical experiments by students . Virtual Chemistry Lab is a new construction method for teaching chemistry in school. These students work without fear of actual conditions in a chemical laboratory. Along with gaining knowledge of chemistry, they test their ability to work with a computer. Using software as a virtual chemical laboratory, the teacher places at the center of the experiment the pupils themselves. So the student gets the opportunity to connect virtual chemical processes with real ones in. Working with such software upgrades the knowledge and skills of the students in chemistry and ICT. Take advantage of the activities in the virtual chemical laboratory, the teacher can provide their students a number of chemical processes that if carried out in real conditions would be costly. This saves money on reagents and supplies, as well as time.
We must say, however, that the use of virtual chemical laboratories requires very good computer equipment of educational facilities, which is still not a reality in every school. We must not forget that magical mystery of chemistry as a science lies in the implementation of real chemical experiment in making the students feel like explorers. The teacher should introduce the necessary knowledge and skills to their students in order to conduct the actual chemical experiments, to make them feel like innovators in the real chemical laboratory. So I think the publication is interesting as it renders information on the use of software for e-chemical laboratories in teaching chemistry, but I think they are more effective in the early stages of studying chemistry as a tool for awakening the discovery and experimental spirit of students.

Date: 2014.03.11

Posted by John Pountos (Greece)

Message: In this quasi-experimental study, the authors provide evidence that a virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) application can significantly aid the teacher in implementing a constructivistic teaching approach. In this way, the teaching process is becoming student-centered and the students are able to enter a learning path in which they construct new knowledge by using the already existing knowledge as a basis.
The findings of this publication also show that students tend to find the VCL approach as a more enjoyable experience relative to the traditional real laboratory experience. In this way, VCL can be considered a successful teaching experience.
The study is relevant with the aim and scope of the Chemistry is All Around Network project and it does provide a suggestion to teachers on how to facilitate the implementation of the constructivistic teaching approach which seems to gain more and more importance in Turkey and worldwide.
It would be interesting to measure also the learning achievement of the students via the different teaching methods, in order to check whether besides facilitation the use of VCL can also lead to improvement of students’ performance in chemistry.

Date: 2014.03.10

Posted by Jitka Svatošová (Czech republic)

Message: The article clearly shows the use of modern technology in teaching chemistry. Virtual laboratory is definitely beneficial for schools that do not have facilities for the real experiments. The advantage is the opportunity to work with more students at the same time and requires less time of preparations for teachers.
However, I believe that virtual laboratory couldn’t substitute practical experience of real laboratory and chemical experiments made with students own hands.

Date: 2014.02.21

Posted by Mariusz Jarocki (Poland)

Message: The document can be considered as a presentation of advantages of a virtual laboratory over real one in chemistry education (secondary, 9th class). The main contribution of the authors is an implementation of the constructivist approach in the learning process. The approach can be very useful in teaching chemistry, so I recommend teachers careful reading the article because results of its implementation can be impressive, with small costs and cheap maintenance (compared to a real laboratory and a traditional approach). There are very spectacular results presented in the document, which show how the constructivist approach gives student the duty of being active during learning process and it gives teachers the mission of organizing the process and guiding. The paper is a kind of instruction of controlling interactions of teachers and students. Contents of the article is highly consistent with the mission of the project Chemistry is all around network.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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