Contract Closed

Virtual Labs for High School Physics

NCER

Program: Small Business Innovation Research

Award amount: $850,000

Project director: Jeanne Finstein

Awardee:

Polyhedron Learning Media, Inc.

Year: 2011

Project type:

Phase II Development

Contract number: EDIES11C0029

Purpose

With national attention on the shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals, enrollment in science is expected to be on the rise in the years to come. Laboratory work is seen as an essential part of many STEM courses, because labs enable students to interact with natural phenomena and analyze collected data. Funding adequate labs, however, has become a challenge and many schools indicate they are not well equipped for laboratory science. It is estimated that a single classroom physics lab can cost $40,000 to $55,000, with an additional annual replacement and repair budget of $2,000 to $3,000. The purpose of this project is to develop a set of cost-effective and maintenance free web-based virtual labs that can fully replace or supplement hands-on labs in a typical high school physics course.

Project Activities

The research team is developing all content and components for 24 virtual labs on topics such as displacement, velocity, acceleration of gravity, kinematics, and Newton's second law. In order to test the feasibility of implementing the technology in schools, the usability of the technology by high school students, and the promise of the product to improve student learning, a randomized trial will be conducted with 120 physics students from six classrooms in three high schools. The groups will be assigned to one of three treatments. One group of students will use the virtual labs as a replacement to traditional labs; one group will use the virtual labs as a supplement to a traditional hands-on lab experience; and one will be used as a control and will complete traditional hands-on labs only. Analyses will examine students' performance on a standardized physics exam before and after a semester long course.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Edward Metz

IES Research Scientist

NCER

Products and publications

Product: The online virtual physics labs for high school students will be used when equipment is not available or as a supplement before or after using real equipment. The product will include 24 virtual labs to overlap with year-long curricular goals that align to physics standards. The simulations feature interactive, real-time 3D representations of laboratory equipment along with data collection, analysis, graphing, and reporting features that allow users to perform all phases of the experiment online. The labs will include embedded feedback when students use a process or generate results that are not reasonable. Teacher professional development and support will also be included.

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

Virtual Labs for High School Physics

Purpose

Project Activities

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Edward Metz

Products and publications

Questions about this project?

Questions about this project?

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