Science Inquiry Using Physical and Virtual Experiments: Systematic Investigation of Issues and Conditions for Learning
Funded by the National Science Foundation’s Education Core Research Program
Both physical labs and virtual labs are often used in science teaching, and each have their advantages and disadvantages. In this project we are conducting a series of studies across three grade levels in three states to:
Uncover the differential benefits of physical versus virtual labs, for learners with a range of abilities and prior knowledge, and for content of different difficulty levels;
Understand the differential effects of sequencing physical and virtual labs for different learners and content; and
Examine how best to combine physical and virtual labs in mixed reality environments.
