Experimentation Comparison in Virtual and Practical Operation

Take Hydraulics Learning for Example

Janus S. Liang

National Taiwan Normal University, 162 Heping East Road Section 1, 10610, Taipei, Taiwan

Keywords: Virtual and Practical Operation, Experimentation, Hydraulics Learning.

Abstract: The objective of this research is to examine if practical or virtual operating experimentation can discriminate

hydraulics learning. There are several experimental situations, specifically virtual operating experimentation

(VoE), practical operating experimentation (PoE), two successive conjunctions of VoE and PoE, and a

control situation (i.e., conventional instructing with lack of VoE or PoE). College learners’ comprehension

of hydraulics notions in the field of force and distance is examined in a pre-post test plan that included 57

members appointed to the control group and 195 members appointed to the four experimental groups.

Conceptual exams are dominated to evaluate learners’ comprehension throughout instructing. Results

revealed that the several experimental situations are similarly efficient in enhancing participants’

comprehension of notions in the field of force and distance and better than the control situation; therefore,

operation, virtual or practical operation, and not substantiality, at lowest in a condition as the one of the

proposed research, is essential in hydraulics learning.

1 INTRODUCTION

Many studies have focused on reform in engineering

education in recent years, they were stressed the

significance of experimentation in engineering

education (Hamalainen, 2008; Liang, 2009;

Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2010;

Zacharis, 2011). One cause making this a crucial

request is quick expansion of virtual operating

experimentation (VoE) and its connotations for

many fields in engineering. The VoE includes the

utilization of virtual equipment and component that

appear in virtual circumstance (e.g. computer-based

simulation). Many empirical researches indicated the

possibility of VoE to promote learners’ abilities and

comprehension of engineering knowledge during the

past decade (Hamalainen, 2008; Zacharis, 2011;

Liang, 2010a; Gao, Cai, Zhao, Liu & Xu, 2010).

Although these discoveries, many educators have

started to sternly ask if experimentation at

workshop, as we perceive it by means of the

utilization of operational experimentation in

automotive troubleshooting (OE_in_AT), namely,

application of tangible component, tool and

equipment in real world, should be reconstructed to

involve VoE (Liang, 2010b; Zacharis, 2011).

Besides the PoE and VoE advocates, there are

researchers who advocate associating the utilization

of PoE and VoE. Through this mode of

experimentation, the advantages of two operations

can be acquired (Goldstone & Son, 2005; Winn et

al., 2006; Zacharia, 2008). Even though in this

condition, substantiality, if it verifies to be a

prerequisite for learning, is still a subject because

when VoE is applied, the drawbacks (no

substantiality) which it delivers is still present,

hence, negatively influencing learners’ learning. It

could be the situation that for several experiments

inside the identical circumstance (e.g. identical field

and techniques included but different experiment)

the substantiality is not always need to show. Yet

there is no study in this field so far approving or

inquiry such a presumption.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The substantiality is the most primary distinction

between VoE and PoE, which for VoE supporters,

seems not to be a particular necessity for learning,

unless the goal technique is sensory-motor. From a

theoretic aspect, the supporters in virtual operation

demand that the substantiality is a necessity for

learning is not educated in any of the present main

learning theorems, that is, the learning theorems of

155

S. Liang J..

Experimentation Comparison in Virtual and Practical Operation - Take Hydraulics Learning for Example.

DOI: 10.5220/0004676701550162

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2014), pages 155-162

ISBN: 978-989-758-022-2

 2014 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

cognitive and constructivist. The former stresses the

requirment for learners to energetically deal with

messages and exercise the goal technique (Triona &

Klahr, 2003). The latter focuses on the significance

of learners playing an energetic character in

learning, whereas it does not specially need to

practical operation. From a perspective in

experimental study, there are a few researches that

directly examined the result of substantiality on field

learning (Flick, 1993; Triona & Klahr, 2003; Klahr

et al., 2007). The findings of these studies reveal

which substantiality seems not to be a necessity

towards particular learning techniques (Triona &

Klahr, 2003) or activities (Klahr et al., 2007).

Nevertheless, one can not deduce from these

researches if substantiality is a prior necessity for

comprehending engineering conceptions.

On the other hand, VoE involves operation of

component and equipment that is essential for

learning, but the essence of operation is rather

virtual than practical. Nevertheless, handling virtual

operation does not make over the substance of

operation by itself (Triona & Klahr, 2003); virtual

operation is still a procedure, as with regard to

practical operation, which takes purposeful

interactions with component and equipment in a

skillful way. Learners can still plan, manipulate, or

handle the “identical” component and equipment, as

in practical operation. The only distinction is that

with regard to PoE these purposeful interactions are

executed by learner’s hand (e.g., through holding

and lifting), but with regard to VoE they are

executed by virtual ways (through clicking and

dragging by a keyboard or mouse of computer).

Therefore, because of the lack of substantiality (real

and active contacting), virtual operation also

disagrees from practical operation in the kind of

motion techniques that are utilized in the operation

period. Nevertheless, VoE supporters stress that

suchlike a perceived import is unlikely to be

especially essential towards learning (Triona &

Klahr, 2003). Going back the instance of elevating a

lift piston with a sample of hydraulic oil, when

applying a VoE, as with regard to PoE, the student

even has the possibility to trace the identical

operational procedures in conveying the lift piston at

the targeted distance (takes the lift piston on the lift

side of automobile hydraulic lift, setup a digital laser

tape measure on the base of lift piston in automobile

hydraulic lift, then input the force on another side of

automobile hydraulic lift for a definite time), and to

obtain the identical response that correlates to the

goal of the learning activity, which this situation is

to achieve a definite distance (reading from the

digital laser tape measure). As a matter of course,

VoE and PoE do not offer the student the identical

whole response. In truth, although you confine the

usability of VoE in offering extra response to the

one offered by the digital laser tape measure (e.g.,

response that is notional in essence, for instance,

hydraulic oil particle progress), you must not

exclude the practical perspective from PoE that

offers touch perceived import when operating the

components of the experiment (e.g., a sensation of

hydraulic oil pressure is at the starting of the

experiment). However, for the targets of the

experimental activity of our instance, such a

perceived import of tactile sense seems not to be

essential for how to press hydraulic oil and gauge its

distance.

3 HYPOTHESES OF RESEARCH

Presented the above mentioned different disputes of

VoE and PoE supporters and the absence of an

accordant theorem on substantiality and its

relationships to hydraulics learning, comparing

hypotheses about the result of substantiality are

systematized. Regarding the first research issue, it is

supposed that the PoE only, but not the VoE only,

situation will promote learners’ comprehension of

F&D (Force and Distance) concepts as contrasted to

the control situation (Hypothesis 1a). In comparison,

in the light of VoE supporters, both VoE and PoE

will promote learners’ comprehension of F&D

concepts as contrasted to the control situation

(Hypothesis 1b). With regard to the second research

issue, the PoE supporters dispute that substantiality

is essential in hydraulics learning and, hence the

students in the PoE only situation will have

preferable comprehension of F&D concepts than

those in the VoE only situation (Hypothesis 2a).

Besides, if substantiality is not essential in

hydraulics learning, then there will be different

between the results of VoE and PoE on the

comprehension of F&D concepts (Hypothesis 2b).

With regard to the third research issue, from the

PoE supporters’ aspect, the PoE only situation will

promote learners’ understanding of F&D concepts

over the situation of fractional disclosure to

substantiality with VoE subsequent PoE;

furthermore, both of them will have a more powerful

result than the situation of fractional disclosure to

substantiality with PoE subsequent VoE and the

control situation; eventually, the situation of

fractional disclosure to substantiality with PoE

subsequent VoE and the control situation will not

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vary between them (Hypothesis 3a). In comparison,

if substantiality is not essential for learning

hydraulics, in that case whole four experimental

situations will be identically efficient and more

profitable than the control situation for enhancing

learners’ comprehension of F&D concepts

(Hypothesis 3b). Concerning the fourth research

issue, it is assumed that the situation of fractional

disclosure to substantiality with VoE subsequent

PoE will enhance learners’ comprehension of F&D

concepts more the situation of PoE subsequent VoE

(Hypothesis 4a). The opposite assumption is that the

two sequences will not vary in their results on

learners’ comprehension of F&D concepts

(Hypothesis 4b).

4 RESEARCH METHOD

4.1 Participants

There are 252 participants, undergraduate members

(70 female, 182 male, M = 20.4 years, SD = 0.72),

enrolled in a course of introductory hydraulics at a

college in this research, purposed to service car

company engineers. This research is arranged in

three consecutive semesters. The 57 members are

assigned to the control group (CG, S

) in the first

semester, even though, for the others (195 students),

data are gathered in subsequently two successive

semesters. Especially, 124 members are divided into

two groups randomly, that is, Participants are

applied VoE only in the experimental group I (EG_I,

_I; 65 members) and participants are applied PoE

only in the experimental group II (EG_II, S

_II; 59

members) in the first semester period, and 71

members are divided into two groups randomly, that

is, participants are applied both VoE and PoE with

PoE subsequent the application of VoE in the

experimental group III (EG_III, S

_III; 36

members) and participants are applied both VoE and

PoE with VoE subsequent the application of PoE in

the experimental group IV (EG_IV, S

_IV; 35

members) in the second semester period (as shown

in Figure 1). The units involved to the control

situation quote the identical topics and conceptions

as in the experimental situations.

All participants followed the identical course,

introductory hydraulics, and all members had the

identical age and educational background. All

participants of whole five groups had no taken

college layer hydraulics before the research or are

joining any other hydraulics course during the

research. The exams of this research are finished at a

pre-arranged time outside this program.

In one-way ANOVA (a kind of quantitative

analysis), it reveals that the achievement scores are

not significantly difference among the members in

the control group and all experimental groups, as

shown in Table 1. Regarding the qualitative analysis,

it indicates that the type and character (received in

engineering) of learners’ conception do not

disaccord, across whole of the classifications of

notions explored: with regard to distance, χ

(4, n =

252) = 0.42; as regards changes in distance, χ

(4, n

= 252) = 1.76; concerning force, χ

(4, n = 252) =

0.35; regarding force transfer, χ

(4, n = 252) = 1.58;

towards viscosity, χ

(4, n = 252) = 1.63; and for

density, χ

(4, n = 252) = 4.92. Meanwhile, the p-

value of all above items is greater than 0.05.

Table 1: The results of means and SD in each of the exams.

Group Exam_1 Exam_2 Exam_3 Exam_4 F&D exam

pre-test

20.0

(8.0)

30.2

(7.7)

26.1

(9.0)

23.0

(11.8)

31.1

(9.5)

post-test

72.8

(13.7)

67.0

(6.9)

58.2

(14.6)

80.7

(16.4)

66.9

(12.2)

_II

pre-test

23.5

(7.9)

32.5

(6.6)

24.7

(9.4)

29.9

(10.0)

32.6

(10.7)

post-

test

73.3

(9.6)

68.3

(8.2)

57.0

(15.9)

81.4

(17.3)

66.4

(13.0)

_III

pre-test

22.8

(7.8)

33.4

(6.5)

23.8

(8.8)

29.0

(11.3)

33.0

(14.1)

post-test

77.8

(12.7)

69.1

(10.4)

59.0

(13.2)

78.0

(15.4)

64.4

(15.4)

_IV

pre-test

23.4

(5.3)

33.0

(5.3)

25.5

(10.2)

27.6

(9.3)

32.8

(11.1)

post-test

73.1

(11.4)

68.7

(9.0)

59.7

(13.6)

81.0

(12.8)

63.3

(13.6)

pre-test

21.5

(7.5)

31.6

(7.0)

25.4

(8.0)

28.5

(12.4)

32.4

(14.5)

post-test

50.2

(9.5)

52.6

(8.6)

37.9

(10.1)

56.3

(11.8)

46.7

(11.6)

4.2 Experimental Design

Figure 1 illustrated a pre-post test experimental

design in this research. A VoE state of high accuracy

is employed; it keeps the interactions and properties

of the subject field of the research as PoE does. In

addition, the identical level of plenty and clarity are

achieved in both the VoE and PoE states, and to

locate both VoE and PoE inside the identical context

of teaching; that is, the identical teaching method,

identical instructors, instructing contents (Hydraulics

and Pneumatics: A Technician’s and Engineer’s

Guide, Parr, 1999, pp.7-23) and procedures (as

assigned by the Hydraulics and Pneumatics: A

Technician’s and Engineer’s Guide course; e.g.,

learners engage in small teams during the course)

are utilized. The adoption of this course is on the

basis of the truth that it promotes learners’

comprehension of hydraulic concepts over more

conventional, inactive ways of teaching (Chanson,

2004; Chua, 2011).

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Figure 1: The experimental design of the research.

In the execution of experimental research, it is

included the contrast of the result of VoE (i.e., no

disclosure to substantiality), PoE (i.e., disclosure to

substantiality during the research), two consequent

conjunctions of VoE and PoE (i.e., fractional

disclosure to substantiality) and conventional

teaching (i.e., exclusion of practical and virtual

operation of components and equipment) on

undergraduate students’ comprehension of

hydraulics conceptions in the field of F&D. In both

the experimental and control situations the identical

course matter (identical four units from the

Hydraulics and Pneumatics: A Technician’s and

Engineer’s Guide course, pp. pp.7-23) was applied.

With regard to the control group, the teaching

contents are expressed to the participants by

discourses that included expositions of the

research’s experiments. The expositions are

constructed by the utilization of films or projected

on a screen by the teacher. The experiments

involved in all expositions are conducted by PoE.

The concept behind the expositions is to meet what

the participant’s perception in both the experimental

and control situations.

4.3 Contents of Instruction

The first four units of the module of Force and

Distance (F&D) of the Hydraulics and Pneumatics:

A Technician’s and Engineer’s Guide course is

employed for the goals of this research. The first

unit (Unit_1) generates a manipulative definition for

distance, the second unit (Unit_2) investigates

distance changes when examples of big-size or

small-size piston (i.e., contact area) are used, the

third unit (Unit_3) depicts notions regarding force

and force deliver in the condition of two pistons of

various areas which mutual influence continuously.

Meanwhile, this unit discriminates the character of

distance and force in dynamic interactions. The last

unit (Unit_4) introduces the fluid properties of

matter, particularly, viscosity and density. In the

four units, the participants are stimulated: (a)

making the required psychical commission by

conducting them through the procedure of

generating a conceptual framework for how distance

changes beginning from direct the experience of

doing in person that includes applying different size

of contact surface, as well as different viscosity of

hydraulic oil, and (b) developing the notions

essential to depict substance regarding its fluid

attributes.

4.4 Activities and Evaluations

The identical conceptual exam (F&D exam) is

administered to estimate participants’

comprehension of F&D concepts concerning

distance, changes in distance, force, force transfer,

density, and viscosity both before and after this

research. In addition, exams specific to each unit of

the research are executed before and after

introducing each unit (from Exam_1 to 4; see Figure

1), with each exam being same before and after each

unit. Each of the exams includes several portions

(some that is composed of two sub-portions and

every sub-portion has at lowest one question) that

inquire open-ended notional problems all of which

need to make a description of inference. The F&D

exam involves six open-ended portions in order to

measure all units of the research’s course. This exam

aims both the particular notions presented in each

unit and the correlations of these notions. Each

portion of each exam is scored respectively; for

exact responses, nevertheless, a total mark is

obtained from each test and utilized in the analysis.

All exams are calculated and recorded no matter the

situation that the participant is arranged. The

marking of each portion is executed by means of the

application of a marking annotation table that

included pre-assign rules (exact answer and exact

description), which are applied to mark both whether

a member’s reply to a question and its followed

description are exact. An exact solution to a question

is marked with one point, for all exams, and its

consistent description in the light of how many of its

pre-assign rules (anticipated knowledge required to

describe a solution) are matched. Each description

rule is marked with different point, across every

exam. The maximum score of each question of a

portion of an exam differs in accordance with the

count of rules utilized for marking its description.

Hence, the maximum score of a portion of an exam

differs both across the portions of an exam and

across the portions of the other exams, unless two

portions share the identical amount of description

rules. A single total score on an exam is obtained by

summing up all the specified score, both those of a

solution and a description, of all questions of an

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exam, and by regulating it to a one hundred-point

scale. The range of total mark is limited from 0 to

100 on each exam. Two independent raters marked

about twenty percent of the data. The reliability

measures (Cohen’s kappa coefficient) for marking of

the F&D exam (pre-post test) and Exam_1, Exam_2,

Exam_3, and Exam_4 (pre-post test), are 0.91, 0.92,

0.89, 0.90, and 0.89, separately. The reliability

(agreement ratio) of the qualitative data

(participants’ conceptions) is 0.92. Disagreements

are investigated after the analysis of reliability, and

are categorized while reciprocal agreement is

approached.

4.5 Procedure

In spite of the truth that the data accumulation

happened at distinct phases, the processes traced are

same at whole times. Firstly, all groups are created

after random appointment of the members to a

specific situation. Participants in all experimental

groups trained in the identical workshop

circumstance that administers both traditional

equipment and computers organized in the

surroundings, whereas members in the control group

joined the course in one of the college’s curriculum.

Secondly, within each situation participants are

randomly appointed to sub-teams as proposed

through the course of this research (in a number of

groups there are 2-students sub-teams due to the

entire members in the group is not adequate to

become triads). With regard to the control group,

members trained in sub-teams of three merely during

the solution of course book problems. Thirdly,

whole participants are dominated the F&D pre-test

before getting dealt with the processing of the

situation they belong do. Meanwhile, concise

descriptions that endeavor to accustom participants

with the contents they are on the point of utilizing.

Members in the control group are presented to the

course book that is arranged for them and the

processes that they will trace all over the course.

Members in the all experimental group are presented

to the Hydraulics and Pneumatics: A Technician’s

and Engineer’s Guide course and both VoE and PoE

by an exposition despite their situation. The

presentation to the procedures and methods of the

Hydraulics and Pneumatics: A Technician’s and

Engineer’s Guide course is very essential since they

distinct from those included in the more

conventional, inactive modes of instructing that

participants have undergone in hydraulics courses in

their school years period. In contrast, participants are

taken accountable in hydraulics learning and are

anticipated to together establish knowledge and

generate their comprehension of hydraulics notions

by the guidance of a cautiously planned, framed

succession of query-oriented experiments.

Finally, conceptual exams are also performed

both before and after each unit except the teaching

of each unit (see Table 2). There are 18 weeks

included in the research period. Participants have

three-hour meeting per week. The all groups have

the same time schedule on activities (as shown in

Table 2). In execution stage, we dominated for any

abnormalities between the time schedule on

activities athwart whole situations (it is found

anywhere else to influence member’s learning; note

an example Zacharis, 2011), especially amongst the

experimental groups thanks to a discrepancy in the

probabilities afforded by VoE and PoE for pressing

hydraulic oil. For instance, because it takes

participants utilizing practical operation more time

to carry a lift piston to a definite height through the

use of hydraulic oil than the members utilizing VoE,

the groups that employed PoE are offered with pre-

install substance (such as pre-pressed samples of

hydraulic oil) to save time on routine activities.

Table 2: Time-on-activity data in each group.

Activity Time

_I S

_II S

_III S

_IV S

Hours/

Week

Hours/

Week

Hours/

Week

Hours /

Week

Hours /

Week

F&D exam 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1

Introduction 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1 1.5 / 1

Exam_1 1 / 2 1 / 2 1 / 2 1 / 2 1 / 2

Unit_1 12 / 2-6 12/ 2-6 12/ 2-6 12/ 2-6 12/ 2-6

Exam _1 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6

Exam _2 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6 1 / 6

Unit_2 10/ 7-10

10/ 7-

Exam _2 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10

Exam _3 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10 1 / 10

Unit_3

10/ 11-

Exam _3 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14

Exam _4 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14 1 / 14

Unit_4 8/ 15-17

8/ 15-

Exam _4 1 / 17 1 / 17 1 / 17 1 / 17 1 / 17

Pressure

exam

1.5/ 18 1.5/ 18 1.5/ 18 1.5 / 18 1.5 / 18

Total 52.5 h 52.5 h 52.5 h 52.5 h 52.5 h

5 RESULTS

5.1 Performance of Exams

The results of means and standard deviations of

performance scores are shown in Table 1.

Meanwhile, a main result of group for all exams is

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revealed in the ANCOVA analysis. With regard to

Exam_1, F(1, 246) = 28.5, partial η

= 0.13, and of

post-test 1 points on members’ pre-test 1 points, F(4,

246) = 30.6, partial η

= 0.34, yet no interplay

between group and post-test points. Regarding

Exam_2, F(1, 246) = 34.7, partial η

= 0.12, and of

post-test 2 points on members’ pre-test 2 points, F(4,

246) = 25.6, partial η

= 0.28, yet no interplay

between group and post-test points. Concerning

Exam_3, F(1, 246) = 115.5, partial η

= 0.32, and of

post-test 3 points on members’ pre-test 3 points, F(4,

246) = 49.6, partial η

= 0.45, yet no interplay

between group and post-test points. As for Exam_4,

F(1, 246) = 78.6, partial η

= 0.22, and of post-test 4

points on members’ pre-test 1 points, F(4, 246) =

28.2, partial η

= 0.30, yet no interplay between

group and post-test points. Eventually, with regard

to the F&D exam, F(1, 246) = 121.2, partial η

0.28, and of F&D post-test points on members’

F&D pre-test points, F(4, 246) = 54.5, partial η

0.34, yet no interplay between group and F&D pre-

test points. Furthermore, the p-value of all above

exams in the ANCOVA analysis is less than 0.001.

According to the Bonferroni-adjusted p-values

for pair-wise comparisons, it implies that members’

scores in the four experimental situations cross all

tests are significantly higher than those of

participants at post-test in the CG. However, it does

not show any emergent distinct between the

members’ scores at post-test of the EGs cross all

tests in the analysis of pair-wise comparisons. These

results imply that the utilization of VoE only, PoE

only, and the two successive conjunctions (PoE

subsequent VoE and VoE subsequent PoE)

promoted participants’ comprehension of the F&D

concepts over conventional teaching does;

furthermore, that whole the experimental situations

are similarly efficient in enhancing participants’

comprehension of these notions.

5.2 Comprehension in F&D Concepts

In the qualitative analysis, it shows that the mostly

equivalent notions are shared across F&D concepts

studies in all EGs (i.e., distance, changes in distance,

force, force transfer, density, and viscosity), as either

acceptable notions in hydraulics (ANH) or not

acceptable notions in hydraulics (NANH), both

before and after the F&D exam is performed. The

members in CG seem to share the identical ANH

and NANH notions with the members in EGs only

the research at the pre-test of each unit. In the F&D

conceptual exam, most of the members of the

experimental groups transit from NANH to ANH

across the F&D concepts searched, after the four

units are completed. The members in experimental

groups have higher popularity for each ANH and

lower popularity for each NANH cross whole post-

tests than the CG. The popularity of each ANH and

NANH of the members in the CG is discovered to be

about the equivalent at the F&D pre-post test, as

well as at each exam before and after each of the

four units. Meanwhile, the equivalent most

popularity NANH is shared across all pre-post tests

in all groups. Eventually, these results reveal that the

utilization of VoE and PoE, only or in successive

conjunction, has the equivalent consequence on

college participants’ comprehension of F&D

notions, that is to say, on the transformation from

NANH to ANH and on the type of notions

participants have after the each unit is completed.

6 DISCUSSION

In the proposed research, the objective is to explore

whether operation or substantiality (virtual or

practical) is essential for learning hydraulics at the

college level, and especially in comprehension of

hydraulics notions. The results of this research

reveal that the utilization of VoE and PoE, either

only utilized or in successive conjunction, while

inserted in a context alike to the one of this research,

can similarly promote members’ comprehension of

F&D concepts and over conventional teaching.

These results verify several Hypotheses (from

Hypothesis 1b to 4b) that coincide with past

researches (Hofstein & Lunetta, 2004; Krivickas &

Krivickkas, 2007). Meanwhile, these results also

confront the common supposition of the PoE

supports that substantiality is a necessity for learning

hydraulics. Not one of the prophecies (from

Hypothesis 1a to 4a) grounded on this supposition is

not confirmed. In comparison, the results indicate

that what is essential in learning hydraulics is

operation, practical or virtual, instead substantiality,

at least inside a context alike to the one of the

proposed research. This result, of course, does not

offer decisive indication that substantiality, mainly,

is not a necessity for each student’s comprehension

of hydraulics notions, or that the model of working

memory depicted above (Millar, 1999) and its result

is not cogent in cognitive load and capability.

Furthermore, the proposed research is to examine

whether disclosure to fractional substantiality,

namely, whether joining the operation mode (virtual

to practical or contrariwise) in the same order of

learning activities as in VoE only and in PoE only

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will have a distinctive result on participants’ general

comprehension compared to VoE only and PoE

only; also, to investigate whether the result is

distinct when practical operation succeeds virtual

operation and contrariwise. The results show that the

two successive conjunctions, in which the operation

mode is shifted, do not vary between VoE only and

PoE only, thus confirming Hypothesis 3b. The truth

that the shift of experimentation can take place

without influencing participants’ comprehension

offers sustain to Triona and Klahr’s (2003) address

that the perceived import deriving from the

accordant operation or motion techniques may not

be particularly essential for learning. What seems to

be essential is if the important parameters and

interactions are kept the “identical” between virtual

and practical operation situations. Furthermore, this

conclusion has to be further examined, especially if

somebody concerns that the motion techniques

applied in both operation modes are easy and have

already been utilized by the learners before the

college. For example, some questions need to be

explored, like “Is the shift of the operation mode

viable when the motion techniques included in the

practical mode are complicated?”, or “How earlier

background with the virtual or physical operation

motion techniques affect the effects of shift of the

operation mode?”

Besides, the plan of researches in the future have

to permit examining of hypotheses regarding the

perceived modes actively utilized in the

experimentation period, and how this application of

perceived modes influence learners’ cognitive load

and combination of multi-mode messages. Factors,

such as the participants’ age or earlier disclosure to

PoE by past experiences, also have to be examined.

It may be the condition, for instance, that the

students of the proposed research who utilize VoE

do not require the perceived modes from touch

because the messages are already in learners’ long-

term memory from earlier experiences in learning.

7 CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the proposed research offer

messages regarding the possibility and merit of the

utilization of VoE and PoE for learning hydraulics,

especially of VoE that has been argued as a feasible

mode for learning. The data of the proposed research

in the quantitative and qualitative analysis indicate

that the utilization of VoE enhanced participants’

comprehension of hydraulics notions quite good as

PoE, with the supply that VoE and PoE are

performed inside a circumstance similar to the one

of the proposed research. This result sustains the

recent studies regarding the corresponding effect of

VoE and PoE for enhancing learning in science

(Klahr et al., 2007: Triona & Klahr, 2003; Zacharia

& Olympiou, 2011). Another finding appear on the

qualitative analysis in the proposed research’s data

that farther sustains the above disputation is that the

greater part of the members in whole experimental

situations reveal to share the identical notions in

NANH, both in the pre-post tests. This result shows

that the learning outcomes and the character of

learning do not virtually change when PoE is

substituted for VoE. This result offers farther mode

to the concept that VoE can be utilized (in some

circumstances) to offer reliable workshop

experiences that are not virtually distinct to the

means utilized when applying PoE.

The question is considered that the two

experimentation modes should be selected when

VoE and PoE provide the same usability for

hydraulics learning by experimentation, as in the

proposed research. Apparently, any of the VoE and

PoE learning circumstances will do. Nevertheless, if

an instructor needs to select between VoE and PoE

other causes in addition to the usability of each of

the two kinds of learning circumstances should be

concerned. For instance, conditions of cost-

efficiency, convenience, or security can be

concerned. Klahr et al. (2007) proposed some of

these “exterior” causes that an instructor can

pondered. For instance, they disputed that VoE

ordinarily occupies less space and takes less effort.

Hence, it is easier than PoE in classroom

management. They also indicated that they easy

reproduction and circulation of VoE as another

apparent benefit over practical engineering toolkits.

Despite there are several limitations included in

this research, e.g. the time-scheme that was used

regarding the data gathered, the findings of the

proposed research still offer a number of useful

information. Particularly, Results like the ones of

this research challenge the already constructed

criterions regarding experimentation in the

hydraulics classroom, as we undergone it by PoE, in

a way that demands a re-specification and

reconstructing of experimentation to involve VoE.

However, this call for reformation generates the

demand for comprehending how PoE and VoE could

be merged in instructing and learning action orders

for hydraulics. Hence, it is imperative to expand the

empirical groundwork by analogous study so as to

base the aspects advocated in this research.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research is supported in part by the National

Science Council in Taiwan for the financial support

and encouragement under Grant No. NSC 101-2511-

S-003-059-MY2 and Grant No. NSC 102-2511-S-

003-057-MY2.

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