The Timeless Controversy Between Virtual and Real Laboratories in Science Education—“And the Winner Is…”

Abstract

The present research investigates the virtual and real laboratories in science education. Adopting one method over the other is a matter of interest but also too often a matter of controversy regarding their effectiveness in the educational practice. With this being kept in mind, a number of 106 research papers (articles, doctoral dissertations, and reviews) related to the comparison of real and virtual laboratories across science teaching research were identified and reviewed. The research questions focused on the most effective environment, whether findings vary over time and level of education in which the labs are used. The basic search tools were the Internet, e-libraries, e-journals, databases, thematic guides and Portals, Catalogues of other libraries, offered to the researchers from collaborating universities. Key words and critical analysis were employed for the analysis and interesting conclusions are made as regards the effectiveness of the two laboratories. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.