What is it about?
Virtual laboratories are widely used in teaching practical science. These are designed to give students a similar learning experience to a real laboratory. However, there are differences in experience particularly around how students express feelings of presence and agency. These are explored through interviews with science students and teachers from a Further Education College.
Featured Image
Photo by Lusia Komala Widiastuti on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Few studies have considered the experience of students in virtual laboratories or compared them to those in real laboratories. Interviews provide insights into students feelings of presence and agency when in these environments. A novel matrix method is used to illuminate the experience of the students, using the parameters of presence and agency.
Perspectives
As a practitioner - researcher my research is situated in real learning. I feel that any insights I may gain from the research have a direct relevance. They inform my practice and I hope they might enlighten others as well.
Neil Peirson
The Sheffield College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Lived experiences of science education: a preliminary exploration of students' experiences in virtual and traditional science laboratories in further education, Education + Training, June 2026, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/et-08-2025-0692.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
