Virtual labs belong to the technological innovations among modern educational procedures. In virtual science labs, the computer offers a 3D virtual environment for the science lab simulation, allowing the student to coexist, interact with, and manage so that the student feels when you coexist, interact and deal with a natural science laboratory in all dimensions.
Therefore, the student can use the Internet and the computer to conduct experiments anywhere and anytime. In addition, you can access information in varied materials and disciplines that will develop your skills and help you keep up with the daily developments in the field of education.
With the radical change in education techniques and methods around the world and the use of digital devices across a broad spectrum within the education system, it has become necessary for educational institutions to keep up with this change. It will try to Make the most of virtual science labs to help students compete in the job market and research fields.
Virtual labs are the optimal solution in times of crisis:
One day you might have wondered what will happen to schools and universities if the corona pandemic continues. What if they could not come back naturally? What will happen to the hands-on curriculum? It is where the role of virtual science labs, which fully simulate real labs, becomes necessary for science students, and facilitates the learning process since it is an interactive environment aimed at conducting and implementing experiments in such a way as to lab simulation.
For example, virtual labs can be the best option to cover the practical part after the closure of schools and universities and dependence on distance learning via the Internet.
24 Advantages of Virtual Labs:
1- Help resolve the issue of limited resources and research funds.
2- Protect the students from the dangers they face during some dangerous experiments in the lab performs. It removes the need to deal with toxic or radioactive chemicals and other hazards such as electrical connections. Consequently, it is an effective means of preventing laboratory accidents.
4-Synchronization between the process of explaining theoretical ideas and practical application, as well as real ones.
5-Help students and teachers’ study and prepare laboratory experiments anytime and anywhere. Laboratory experiments are linked to academic lectures.
6- The student can do the same experiment multiple times depending on their ability to assimilate the information. Which is difficult to achieve in an accurate lab simulation with limited material and equipment relative to the number of students.
7- Provide cooperation and interaction between students and between teachers and students.
8- Helps educational institutions to save money.
9- Add entertainment during the experiment to grab students’ attention.
10: Encourage students to do laboratory experiments.
11– Satisfy students’ passion for science by giving them easy access to different experiments regardless of time and place.
12 – Improving understanding of science courses in physics, chemistry, and biology; and increasing student achievement.
13– Eliminate boredom as it provides fun experiments.
14 – Virtual labs enable students to leverage modern technology and follow the tremendous progress of the information revolution.
15 – The students can apply the scientific method of problem-solving.
16 – Develop teaching and learning methods that lead to the effectiveness of the educational process.
17 – Improving communication between students on the Internet, which helps in the exchange of ideas and experience helps.
3 Obstacles to Virtual Labs
1- For virtual laboratories to function successfully and fully simulate the various phenomena in 3D, computing equipment with up-to-date specifications is required.
2- To professionally design the virtual labs and the content of the experiments, a qualified team of professionals is needed. This team consists of programmers, professors, and psychology experts.
3- A disadvantage of using virtual labs is that they limit the various forms of direct interaction between teacher and students and among students, where most of their communication is electronic.
Finally, virtual science labs are one of the most critical applications of e-learning as they offer a virtual learning and teaching environment to develop student’s practical skills. And since they are available over the Internet, the student can conduct many experiments without being tied to a specific place or time, as with natural laboratories.
