Research on Chinese Middle School Students' Scientific Practices With the Affordance of a Virtual World

• In Event: 44.045 - Immersive Virtual Environments for Science Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of virtual world on students’ scientific practices, providing students with engaging opportunities to experience how to do science with a virtual world named Omosa. A total of 100 sixth grade students participated in the study with half of them in the intervention group learning with Omosa and the remaining half in the control group. Mixed-methods research was used to provide evidence of the students’ perceptions, behavioral patterns, and conceptual changes of scientific inquiry in the classroom. The results indicated that the Omosa course improved students’ understanding of scientific inquiry. Also, the scientific practices with Omosa implemented in classroom were a very positive learning experience for the students.

Authors

• Guangtao Xu, East China Normal University

• Youqun Ren, East China Normal University

• Michael J. Jacobson, The University of Sydney

• Chunlei Zhang, East China Normal University

• Xunlei Yang, Luoxing Middle School

• Xudong Zheng, East China Normal University

• Lijia Lin, East China Normal University

• Yinglian Jin, East China Normal University