Virtual simulations are a very useful educational resource to improve the teaching of chemistry. Their use makes it possible to facilitate the comprehension of concepts, promotes the development of scientific competences and even improves student attitudes toward chemistry. However, it is important to point out that a simulation by itself is not…

Physics education in secondary schools can include biophysics topics as electives. An open simulation based on a simulation like Minecraft for learning the workings of the action potential in human cells was designed and tested for students in upper secondary physics education. In small design and test cycles both the simulation engine and the…

One way of triggering students' interest in chemistry is making chemistry education more meaningful. Four characteristics of meaningful chemistry education (MCE) were identified in projects that involved a redesign of curriculum materials: daily life context, the need-to-know principle, students' input, and the macro--micro connection. Chemistry…

This article describes the design and evaluation of a simulation environment for special relativity (SR) education at the secondary level. In recent years, SR has become increasingly popular in secondary school curricula worldwide. Because the key concepts in SR are very remote from everyday experience, they are difficult for students to learn.…

The present study aimed to develop, introduce, and conduct an activity for the integration of augmented reality to the jigsaw IV technique in a planned and systematic manner. The activity developed for secondary school students is related to the "Pure Substances" subject which it is included in the "Particulate structure of…

The monitoring of pH changes due to dissolved carbon dioxide from algal balls offers a way for students to acquire good understanding of the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Here, 54 high school participants were enlisted to conduct the experiment physically and with an Augmented Reality (AR) tool developed. A survey conducted after…

We designed and tested a 3D motion tracking system which displays acquired and derived data using augmented reality. This setup, based on a virtual reality headset and its controllers, is a relatively low-cost, high-precision, six degrees of freedom, high-speed, multiple-objects tracking device. This apparatus proves to be a very high-quality…

School visits to research laboratories or facilities represent a unique way to bring students closer to science and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers. However, such visits can be very expensive for students and teachers, in terms of both time and money. In this paper, we present a possible alternative to on-site visits…

Due to the necessity to continue learning even during the pandemic, schools opened utilizing distance learning modalities. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the effectivity of this modalities in physics. In this study, we investigated the effects of three physics distance learning modes; the module-only (MO), virtual lab plus module (VLM),…

The use of virtual reality (VR) as a medium for education can contribute to the learning efficiency of students. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of VR application in advanced biology courses, specifically in enhancing the comprehension and understanding of high school students toward the topic of human organs and other related…

Gender inequality is strongly linked with poor performance in science and mathematics for female students in secondary schools owing to socio-economic and cultural issues as well as learning strategies. According to the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination results of 2021 in Tanzania, the failure rate for female students was higher than…

This paper analyzes Sim-Evolution, an educational simulator designed to help teachers presenting three basic principles of the theory of evolution by natural selection (TENS): the trait variation within a population, the heritability of trait variation, and the selective survival based on heritable traits. Sim-Evolution focuses on high school…

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to fundamentally transform science education by making learning of abstract science ideas tangible and engaging. However, little is known about how students interacted with AR technologies and how these interactions may affect learning performance in science laboratories. This study examined high school…

Virtual labs provide space for students to iteratively test, observe, and revise their understanding so as to improve their scientific literacy. However, one of the challenges that students face is that they need to think and act like scientists so as to be sensitively alert to methodological flaws and various sources of error. This study thus…

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) simulations are argued to support students' learning of complex scientific phenomena via the use of realistic graphics and interactions that students can hardly experience in everyday life. However, the integration of immersive VR simulations in science classrooms introduces new challenges, whilst there is a lack of…