DYNAMIC VISUALIZATION IN THE VIRTUAL LABORATORY ENHANCES THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHEMICAL CONCEPTS

Abstract

In natural science education it is important that the macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic levels are interconnected in a student’s mind. Primary school children have the greatest difficulty in understanding the sub-microscopic, which is outside their experiential framework. This research examines the classroom application of the virtual laboratory in integrating macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic aspects of chemistry. Pupils of the seventh grade, aged between 12 and 13 years (N = 225), participated in the didactic experiment that was conducted in ten primary schools in Slovenia. The fundamental research question was whether pupils studying the same natural science content using the virtual laboratory performed better than those who did not. The results of the experiment revealed that in terms of knowledge acquisition the use of a virtual laboratory improved pupil performance in relation to those who did not use elements of dynamic visualisation in the classroom. In accordance with Bloom’s cognitive scale, it was demonstrated that in relation to basic, higher and advanced levels of knowledge and comprehension, the use of the virtual laboratory positively influences pupils’ understanding of selected concepts in chemistry. Key words: virtual laboratory, dynamic visualization, chemical concepts, submicroscopic level.