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Enhanced STEM learning with Online Labs: Empirical study comparing physical labs, tablets and desktops

Publication Type : Conference Paper

Thematic Areas : Learning-Technologies

Publisher : Frontiers in Education Conference, 2013 IEEE

Source : Frontiers in Education Conference, 2013 IEEE, IEEE (2013)

Url : http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6685106&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs

Accession Number : 13978028

Keywords : Animation, Assessment, cognitive learning, conceptual skills, elearning, experimental skills, Olabs, online labs, procedural skills, reporting skills, simulation, traditional labs, Virtual Labs

Campus : Amritapuri

School : School of Arts and Sciences

Center : Technologies & Education (AmritaCREATE), Amrita Center For Research in Analytics

Department : Computer Science

Verified : Yes

Year : 2013

Abstract : India's educational challenge includes a large school going population, shortage of science teachers and lack of science labs in many schools. To counter this challenge, the Online Labs (OLabs) pedagogy is designed as a complete learning environment with tutorials, theory, procedure, animations, videos and simulations while the assessment includes conceptual, experimental, procedural and reporting skills. We discuss two separate empirical studies using OLabs to study the performance gains, student attitudes and preferences while using physical labs, desktops and tablets. The first study was at a school that compared students who learnt individually with OLabs on desktops, to students who learnt with the traditional teacher led physical labs. The second study was at a science camp and compared OLabs on desktops to OLabs that were context adapted for android tablets. There were significant differences between the physical labs and the self study mode using OLabs on desktops, but no significant differences between OLabs on desktops compared to OLabs on tablets.

Cite this Research Publication : Prema Nedungadi, Raghu Raman, and McGregor, M., “Enhanced STEM learning with Online Labs: Empirical study comparing physical labs, tablets and desktops”, in Frontiers in Education Conference, 2013 IEEE, 2013.

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