The effect of teaching electric circuits switching from real to virtual lab or vice versa — A case study with junior high-school learners

The present study focuses on real and virtual labs used in unison to teach Physics. Should students be exposed to real experiments first and virtual labs afterwards, or could it be that the reverse is the best educational choice? For the investigation of this research question, the PCB301 mobile lab was used as a basic educational tool. It offers learners both real and virtual lab material, sensors with the data collection software, as well as matched simulations, thus presenting a complete experimental environment, available to be used for the understanding of science concepts. 65 third year High School learners participated, divided in two groups; thirty two for those experimenting first on a real and then on a virtual environment, and thirty three for the group working in the opposite order. The teaching subject under investigation was the study of electric circuits, with a focus on wiring, resistor features, the electric circuit, electric voltage, and the application of Ohm´s law. As data research tools the DIRECT assessment was used, as well as semi-conducted interviews that took place at the end of the research activities. The results confirmed that learners´ understanding is affected by the order the real and the virtual labs are used in teaching, when addressing this age group and teaching electric circuits.