Abstract:

Virtual Laboratory is a computer system that aims to simulate the environment of a real laboratory and through interactive simulations allows the development of laboratory practices. The virtual corrosion laboratory (LVC), developed by the University of Cadiz by the research group of Professor Francisco Javier Botana Pedemonte, has been used and evaluated its results during several courses. The methodology developed was as follows: The sample of 360 students is divided into four groups: GROUP 1: 90 students used the LVC exclusively to reinforce and apply the concepts previously explained in class. GROUP 2: 90 students used the classroom laboratory to reinforce and apply the concepts explained in class. GROUP 3: 90 students used the LVC and the classroom laboratory to reinforce the concepts explained in class. GROUP 4: 90 students were used as a reference sample and only received the explanation in the classroom. In summary, the most important results were: The students in group 1 who used LVC, developed skills related to the proposed practice (observe, investigate, exchange results and reinforce knowledge). The students of group 2 reached to a lesser extent the knowledge acquired by group 1. Group 3 obtained the best results with very high percentages of correct answers with respect to the rest of the groups. Group 4 obtained the worst results. LVC is an important support for understanding the concepts explained in class that are widely reinforced for laboratory classrooms. The authors of the present study express their thankfulness to Junta de Extremadura & European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the project GR18086 (TIC008 Alcántara).

Keywords:

Classroom, computer; group, sample, students