PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Although conducting experiments in biology lessons contributes to knowledge acquisition and an increased interest in the subject, it is not always feasible to plan and implement them due to material and time constraints. Virtual laboratories offer an alternative to provide students with an authentic learning experience in a laboratory, which can similarly increase (non-)cognitive skills and ability. In our talk, we want to show some insights into the virtual lab “Labster” and want to present some results of a quantitative study on how “Labster” influences non-cognitive personal characteristics of students. So, we conducted a quantitative empirical comparative study in 10th grade students (N = 94) at a grammar school. Our results display a myriad of benefits in terms of biological self-concept, self-efficacy in genetics, career choice, of the construct constructive process characteristics of moderate constructivism and process-related skills in the field of knowledge production. Virtual laboratories have the potential to offer numerous opportunities in biology lessons, such as making virtual first-hand experiences and performance-differentiated learning, particularly where laboratory visits or work in school is not possible.