To Go Virtual or Not to Go Virtual, That is the Question: A Comparative Study of Face-To-Face Versus Virtual Laboratories in a Physical Science Course

Abstract

This article outlines a study that compared an online virtual laboratory with a face-to-face laboratory. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual method of instruction for a general studies, physical science laboratory course. Using a pretest-posttest only design with nonequivalent control groups, differences between assessment scores, attitudes, and personal preferences were used to evaluate the likelihood of any impact of the online delivery when compared with that of the traditional method. No significant differences were found between the groups’ content knowledge gained or in their attitudes or preferences. While this result may seem discouraging at first, virtual laboratory sections can often be cost-effective for institutions to use and therefore may be a favorable choice. Also, there is a growing need or desire for online formats, and this study demonstrates that virtual methods are an effective alternative to face-to-face methods with laboratory content knowledge attainment. A discussion follows with suggestions or items to consider in designing or switching to a virtual format.