An Innovative Approach in Virtual Laboratory Education: The Case of "IUVIRLAB" and Relationships between Communication Skills with the Usage of IUVIRLAB.

Abstract

The aim of this study was the 3-dimensional active learning methods and techniques, interactive, multiuser and innovative Istanbul University Virtual Laboratory (IUVIRLAB) is to introduce the physics laboratory was developed as a model and investigate its relationships between communication skills with the usage of IUVIRLAB. Although there are many computer simulations and virtual laboratory applications, the model introduced in this study has a unique characteristics in terms of being a 3-dimensional, interactive virtual laboratory that enables students to learn in cooperative groups, and is the first in its kind due to its qualities of enabling multi-admin. and multi-user operation, having a special software compatible to run on iPad, iPhone, android and smart phone platforms, and having been designed on the basis of active learning approaches and provocate innovation approach in e-learning. Due to its multi-user and internet accessible nature, the produced virtual physics laboratory was designed in a way suitable for the use of all active learning(problem-based learning in cooperative groups, cooperative learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, research-based learning, learning through invention and structuralist learning) approaches that can be carried out with cooperative groups. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).