The role of virtual and remote labs in promoting conceptual understanding of students

Laboratory-based courses play a critical role in science education, yet there is a disagreement between science and engineering educators about whether and which types of technology mediated lab works should be involved to promote better conceptual understanding, design skills and professional skills of learners. In this study we focused on the evaluation of an efficiency of different types of e-labs, using Ma, Nickerson four dimensional models of educational goals. We found different patterns and enlarged the model to 5 dimensions. We tried to clearly specify the differences, advantages and disadvantages of all 3 kinds of e-labs according to educational goals to be reached. We also tried to investigate which aspects of the laboratory experience are most essential to learners and if those lab characteristics have a relationship to learner characteristics or prior experience. In the second part of the study we focused on investigating ( not verifying) the hypothesis, that it is not the actual nature of the laboratories, but the beliefs that students and teachers have about them, that may determine the effectiveness of different lab types.