Virtual experiment environments design for science education - Cyberworlds, 2003. Proceedings. 2003 International Conference on 


Virtual Experiment Environments Design for 

Science Education 

Young-Suk Shin 

Division of Electronics and information Communication 

Engineering, Chosun University 

ysshin@mail.chosun.ac.kr

Abstract

Virtual reality technology is reported that the 
use of virtual reality(VR) as an educational tool 

can increase student interests, understanding and 

creative learning because of encouraging 
students to learn by exploring and interacting 

with the information on virtual environments. 

This paper presents the virtual experiment (VE) 
environments for science education using virtual 

reality simulation. We developed the VE 

environments on the Web designed compatible to 
the learner levels through level analysis in the 

learning contents. The students can select the 

learning level in the exploring step of learning 
cycle model: regular, advanced and remedial 

courses according to the degree of their 

understanding or interest about the learning topic. 
The VE environments support students to learn 

scientific phenomena and concepts focusing on: 

the seismic wave, the earth's crust balance, 
radiation balance, the movement of ocean, solar 

system and the control of telescope in the science 

field of middle school. The responses of learning 
on VE environments have demonstrated that the 

VE environments can be used as a useful 

methodology in science education for middle 
school students. 

1. Introduction 

Throughout the 21th century, the science 

education is to make a transition from an 

emphasis on delivering content through lectures 

to getting students “involved in some way in 

scientific inquiry, not just a hands-on experience.” 

In the science education, inquiry has always been 

difficult because the phenomena are so far out of 

reach – students obviously can not visit the Sun. 

However, the power of the modern day computer 

to do desktop virtual reality and computational 

modeling has created a new opportunity for 

inquiry approaching to learning [1][2] and 

teaching astronomy [3].  

VR is defined as a highly interactive, 

computer-based multimedia environment in 

which the user becomes the participant in a 

computer-generated world. A key feature of VR is 

real-time interactivity where the computer is able 

to detect user inputs and instantaneously modify 

the virtual world in accordance with user 

interactions.  

VR means an fully immersive worlds created 

by computers but it can be extended to semi-

immersive and non-immersive(desktop) VR. In 

spite of the disadvantage of non-immersive VR 

system, the non-immersive VR systems are by far 

the most common in the present because it is not 

only cost effective but also can be used in the 

network environments. Furthermore, they give an 

Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Cyberworlds (CW’03) 
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additional benefit. The earth science field which 

is neither easy to perceive nor to measure in usual 

experiments can be presented on virtual 

experiment environments and can be viewed in 

many different perspectives in a virtual world.     

This paper presents the VE environments for the 

internet-based learning of earth science education 

in middle school and discusses the response of 

learning in the VE environments. 

2. Bring VE environments into science 

education via the internet 

Today there is an increasing number of 

educators abandoning predominantly didactic, 

lecture-based modes of instruction and moving 

towards more learner-centered models in which 

students are engaged in problem solving and 

inquiry [4]. Recently, technological advances 

make possible new types of learning experiences, 

moving from transmission models where 

technology functions like textbooks, films, or 

broadcasts to environments in which the 

technology functions like studios and laboratories 

in which students immerse themselves within 

interactive contexts that challenge and extend 

their understanding [3][5]. Many such 

technologies have been discussed in the literature 

[6][7][8][9].  

One interesting technology that has much 

potential in which to ground learning in rich 

environments is virtual reality [1][9][10][11][12].  

Virtual reality technology may offer strong 

benefits in science education. It enables students 

to do things that they cannot do in the physical 

world (ex. Fly and go to places that do not exist.) 

These technologies allow students to enact basic 

scientific concepts (e.g., earth’s crust balance, 

seismic wave etc.) into dynamic, 3-D scale 

models.  

Distance learning has been popularized in 

recent years because of the fast development of 

computer systems and the spreading Internet 

connectivity. One of the major restrictions for 

distance learning in science and engineering 

education is the difficulty of experiment activities. 

One way to overcome these difficulties is to use 

the VE environments running on a Web browser 

instead of requiring hands-on experiments. 

Especially many physical phenomena in the earth 

science field which are neither easy to perceive 

nor to measure in usual experiments can be 

presented in the VE environments and can be 

viewed in many different perspectives in the 

virtual world. In addition, dangerous, high cost, 

and complicated experiments can be realized in a 

VE environment for distance learners. The VE 

environments therefore can be used to overcome 

the physical, safety, and cost constraints that limit 

schools in the types of environments they can 

provide for learning-by-doing. 

3. VE environments’s design 

The teaching designers should have the clear 

idea on the knowledge and function that learners 

should have. Fig.1 shows a model describing how 

VE environments is designed. 

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Fig. 1. A designing process for VE environments 

 First, we conducted the diagnostic test to grasp 

the intellectual level of what learners have 

already known. After giving learning topics of 

earth science field in the multiple choice tests, 

students make an answer to the questions. The 

multiple choice tests are commonly used in 

traditional textbooks and classrooms and need no 

elaborate explanation.   

Second, an instruction design to introduce new 

knowledge to students is provided. The 

instruction model basically adopted in this study 

is similar to the model of learning cycle [13]. The 

model of learning cycle is the one that was 

introduced to the SCIS (Science Curriculum 

Improvement Study) program to facilitate the 

basic concept of science and to develop the 

function of thought, and it is composed of 

mutually related three stages – exploration, 

concept introduction and concept application. 

The stage of exploration is the one that the 

learners act and solve the problems that they have 

been curious on their own. In this stage, the 

learners can get the experimental data while 

doing the interaction of preparing the experiment 

equipment on the table in the 3D VE experiments 

and conducting the experiments. The learners in 

this stage solve their curiosity and intellectual 

conflict to some degree. The concept introduction 

stage is the one that the teachers arrange the 

concepts including what the learners have not 

solved and is the stage to solve the intellectual 

conflict. The concept application stage is the one 

to make sure what has been learned and is the 

stage to apply it to the different situations of 

nature or the actual life.  

Third, the learning contents have been 

organized with three levels according to the 

degree of difficulty and been devised to put the 

learning subjects in a hierarchical structure.  

The learning contents in the learner level-based 

learning structure for learner-centered learning 

have been devised with analysis methods of the 

inquiry level [14] and the concept level for 

science education of middle school provided by 

the Department of Education [15]. The subjects of 

learning is also to put in a hierarchical structure in 

order to identify which concepts are prior to the 

others, and conceptual pyramids can be built. We 

followed the results of an official announcement 

by the Department of Education to analyze a 

hierarchical structure. 

After analyzing both inquiry level and concept 

level about the contents of learning, the levels of 

learning contents can be built to regular 

course(RGL-C), advanced course(ADV-C) and 

remedial course(RMD-C). Specially, the selection  

Analysis of 

learning contents 

Instruction design 

Developing

Concept introduction

Concept application

Exploration 

Diagnostic Test 

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Table 1. 

A level analysis of the earth structure(High:H, Average:A, Low:L)

Level 

Inquiry Concept 

Unit Sub-Unit Subject Learning

-Type 

H A L H A L 

R

M

D

-

C

A

D

V

-

C

Remarks 

Concept

ADV-C(iconic):

the density variance of 

vapor and dust 

Constitution of  

atmosphere 

Inquiry 

 RMD-C(symbolic):the

test of oxygen mass in 

the air 

Concept     ADV-C(enactive): 

radiation balance 

Atmosphere 

Perpendicular  

Structure of 

atmosphere 

Inquiry 

ADV-C(symbolic): the 

analysis of measured 

data in high level layer 

of the air  

Concept     RMD-C(enactive):   

an electromagnetic wave 

Seismic wave 

Inquiry 

ADV-C(enactive): 

A draw of a cross-

sectional of the Earth. 

Concept

 RMD-C(iconic):

 the damage of 

earthquake 

Earth 

Structure 

Earth interior 

Earth’s interior 

Inquiry 

 RMD-C(symbolic):

the inference of 

structure in the Earth  

interior

of educational content using virtual reality was 

considered by mainly enactive representation 

among the learning types(enactive representation, 

iconic representation, and symbolic 

representation) of Bruner [16] and experimental 

attributes. Table 1 shows an example of learning 

contents was analyzed with both inquiry level and 

concept level. 

Finally, VE environments have been developed 

to open at our homepage for the free access of 

anyone including middle school students on the 

Web.  

This study used Superscape 3D Wed master 

software from VRT for development of the virtual 

experiment environments, which is a 

multifunctional tool to create, manipulate, texture, 

and animate shapes, group and ungroup objects, 

create various view points from which to view 

VR worlds among other features. This software is 

the virtual reality modeling language(VRML) 

editing tool. VRML is the WWW standard for VR 

and is a language similar to HTML in that it 

establishes a common standard for making VR 

easily distributed over the Internet. The worlds 

created from this software can be displayed on the 

web as fully interactive environments, or 

embedded in 2D HTML pages on a PC. It also 

has the advantage of being able to minimize the 

load of communication because the size of files is 

small. VE environments developed are now 

briefly introduced. 

Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Cyberworlds (CW’03) 
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Fig. 2. VE environment of the seismic wave 

VE environment of the seismic wave  

Fig.2 that shows a virtual experiment 

environment of the seismic wave (P-wave, S-

wave) of the internal earth. The waves and a 

value of velocity have been selected from the 

learners, then they can explore features of each 

wave selected in the 3D.  The learners can 

understand the features of P-wave, S-wave and 

visually conduct the simulated experiment on 

how each wave proceeds.   

Fig. 3. VE environment of the earth's crust 

balance 

VE environment of the earth's crust balance 

Fig.3 is a virtual experiment environment for 

the earth's crust balance. This VE environment 

was designed to explore the earth’s crust floating 

on the mantle. The learners can drop by dragging 

optional blocks in a  water tank with a mouse 

button and observe the length of blocks in the 

water tank according to the scale and density of 

blocks on the 3D. This VE environment designed 

a visual symbol as blocks of tree floating in a 

water tank in order to create concrete metaphor of 

the earth’s crust structure floating on the mantle.  

Fig. 4. VE environment of the radiation balance 

VE environment of the radiation balance 

Fig.4 is a virtual experiment that measures the  

change of internal temperature and the 

equilibrium temperature of each cup that is 

differently away from the light source. When the 

learner moves the cups with the thermometer to 

certain places by using the mouse and turn on the 

switch, the temperature of each cup will rise.  Of 

course, the rise of the temperature varies with the   

distance respectively the colors of three cups into 

different colors, if the learner put the cups the 

same distance away and warm them with the 

same energy, the learner can also see the 

absorption degree of radiation energy according 

to the color on which cup's temperature rise most.  

Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Cyberworlds (CW’03) 
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Fig. 5. VE environment of the ocean’s 

movement 

VE environment of the ocean’s movement  

Fig. 5 is a virtual experiment for the movement 

of ocean.  The learners can observe the size of the 

wave in the water tank according to the strength 

of the wind.  The strength of the wind can be 

adjusted to 1m/sec, 5m/sec, 10m/sec, and 

20m/sec etc., and it is a virtual experiment 

necessary to understand the height of the wave 

and the wind velocity that actually look in the sea. 

Beside, we have developed VE environments 

of the solar system and telescope control system . 

4. Results of student responses 

The VE environments developed have been 

evaluated to the reactions of learners on a Web 

targeting 701 middle school students for 6 

months. The survey was conducted to find out 

the quality level and the possibility of use in the 

classes of the developed VE environments. The 

questions are composed of 3-phase Likert 

technique.  The result of the learner responses is 

shown as in Table 2. 

About 70% of the learners who used this VE 

environment answered that this VE environment 

expresses the real world well.  Such result seems 

to come from the fact that we tried to get the 

maximum similar environment to the real world 

by inputting the physical values such as the 

gravity value and mass value etc. of each object 

in a concrete manner and conducting the design. 

Table 2. The Result of student responses 

(Agree:A, Common:C, Disagree:D)

Response(%) 

No. Questions 
A C D

1 Is the learning situation 

similar to the real situation? 

70.2 19.4 10.4 

2

Is it composed to 

understand the learning 

contents well? 

74.4 13.2 12.4 

3

Can the learners selectively 

study according to their 

level? 

55.1 27.5 17.4 

4

Is it possible for the 

learners to actively 

participate in the inquiry 

experimental environment? 

72.3 17.0 10.7 

5

Is it composed so that you 

can effectively achieve the 

inquiry objective? 

76.1 19.4 4.5 

6

Is the sense of immersion 

provided by this virtual 

experiment environment 

helpful in giving the 

learners interest and 

motivation? 

82.1 14.9 3.0 

7

Is the interaction of the 

learner on this virtual 

experiment environment 

easy? 

74.6 20.9 4.5 

We had those who had effectively reached the 

learning objective conduct the advanced learning 

and for those who had not reached the learning 

objective, we provided the arrangement of what 

they had studied before once again and had them 

do the supplementary learning so that they could 

do the complete learning. 

In the responses related to this, they said they 

could easily understand the learning contents 

Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Cyberworlds (CW’03) 
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(74.4%), but the third question was not complete 

(55.1%).  It seems that this result comes from the 

fact that the learning contents by level provided 

in this study was composed of the contents of 

remedial level and advanced level for the 

representative learning contents only related to 

the inquiry and experiment contents.  Therefore, 

it is judged that we should design it by including 

the remedial and advanced learning contents for 

the various contents related to the inquiry and 

experiment contents in the future. 

As for the responses of the learners for the 

inquiry, 72.3% were positive for the degree of 

participation possibility, and 76.1% were positive 

for the achievement degree of the inquiry 

experimental objectives, which means the 

responses were relatively positive. what we 

should pay attention to the responses related to 

the inquiry  experimental learning is that in case 

it is difficult to conduct the field experiments as 

in astronomy or geology, or it is costly or 

dangerous to do experiments, it has the effect of 

replacement for the actual situational learning 

when we provide the learning situations to the 

3D VR space of the computer. 

The very positive responses of this 

questionnaire are the sense of immersion and 

interest inducement (82.1%).  It seems that such 

result comes from the fact that while the existing 

learning programs were mostly 2D, this program 

was 3D so they could study while moving in 3D 

space as if they were doing 3D simulation games. 

The effect of the interaction is one of the 

fundamental functions to the 3D virtual 

experiment environments. The learners responded 

that the interaction effect was well considered in 

VE environments (74.6%).  

5. Conclusions

This paper presented virtual experiment 

environments considered learner levels in science 

education for middle school students. The 

learners who used the VE environments 

developed showed the positive responses totally.  

Such result indicates that for the inquiry learning 

tasks that need the interaction in the 3D space, it 

is possible to achieve the learning objective if 

using this method. In case of geology or 

geophysics where it is difficult to conduct the 

experiment and to obtain the inquiry experiment 

results, the VE environments can be the indirect 

situational learning.  

In order for the VE environment to be 

embodied as the program learning close to the 

real world, it should be designed and embodied so 

that it can get various experiment results in 

various experiment conditions.  For this aspect, it 

is necessary to do sophisticated design and 

development reflecting the various situations 

related to the learning contents. I expect that the 

use of VE environment on the web-based will 

play the role of catalyst in establishing the 

realistic school education environment on the 

remote education. 

6. Acknowledgement 

This study was supported by research funds from 

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Chosun University, 2003. 

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