Differences in acquired knowledge and attitudes achieved with traditional, computer-supported and virtual laboratory biology laboratory exercises

Abstract

This paper reports on the contribution to biological knowledge of three different laboratory technologies and also endeavours to discover which technology students prefer the most. To examine differences in knowledge gained and learners’ preferences for different technologies in biology laboratory work, we prepared three variants (triplets) of three laboratory exercises. Each laboratory variant in a triplet was prepared as a classical laboratory work, a computer-supported laboratory and an interactive virtual simulation. A group of 670 learners at a school for all genders, aged between 11 and 15 (6th to 9th grade) of lower secondary Slovenia schools performed three well-known and easy to perform laboratory exercises that are included in their curriculum (‘Gas Exchange’, ‘Activity of Yeast’ and ‘Heart Rate’) as a traditional, computer-supported laboratory and computer simulation. The data indicated that there were no statistical differences pertaining to students’ knowledge gain between these laboratory technologies with regard to grade, gender or school score. In this study, students preferred a computer-supported laboratory mostly followed by a classic laboratory with a computer simulation in last place, regardless of students’ grade, gender or academic scores.

Keywords:

• Improving classroom teaching
• interactive learning environments
• media in education
• pedagogical issues

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank many people who helped in our work. Dr. Miro Puhek programmed interactive computer simulations (Puhek and Šorgo, 2009, 2009a, 2009b). Work with students was performed at: (a) a summer health colony with education staff in Punat on the Croatian Krk Island; (b) Radovljica elementary school and the class of Neda Golmajer; (c) Elementary school bratov Polančičev Maribor in the classes of Romana Tancer and Mladen Tancer; (d) Elementary school Rada Robiča Limbuš in the classes of Marjeta Križaj. In classroom practice, our students Asja Kamenšek and Anja Breg participated as volunteers.