(PDF) Hands on remote guidebook

EN Guidebook 2023 1 EN Guidebook 2023 All materials and contact details can be found on the project websites as well as in the Erasmus+ project profile: https://sites.google.com/campus.ul.pt/hands-on-remote-language/ home https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/ details/2020-1-DE02-KA226-VET-008295 Core development team • Marion Pellowski and Lorenz Kampschulte, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany • Pedro Reis, Mónica Baptista, Luís Alexandre da Fonseca Tinoca, Lisbon University, Institute for Education, Lisbon, Portugal • Wojciech Karcz, Adam Zahler, Anna Strzeszewska-Potyrała, Karolina Klimaszewska, Copernicus Science Center, Warsaw, Poland • Miriam Voss, Mike Kramler, Marion Pellowski, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany Disclaimer The European Commission’s support for the production of this publica- tion does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held re- sponsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Imprint Authors: P. Reis, M. Baptista, L. da Fonseca Tinoca, L. Kampschulte, W. Karcz, M. Pellowski, M. Voss, A. Zahler Lisbon University, Institute for Education, Lisbon, Portugal Layout & Design: Michał Romański Print: February 2023 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Inter- national License. Elements marked as citations may be subject to other licenses. ISBN EN: 978-989-8753-82-3 Index 1. The “Hands-on-Remote” project  7 2. A practice-oriented theoretical background on remote teaching with a special focus on remote hands-on activities  11 3. Hands-on remote learning examples from other projects  15 4. Practice-oriented advices on developing remote hands-on experiments and promoting the sense of community among students’  33 5. The “Hands-on-Remote” modules  35 6. “Hands-on-Remote” Training/ Dissemination Scheme  49 7. Evaluation of modules  51 8. Get in touch  55 9. References 57 1. The “Hands-on-Remote” project 1.1. Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly shown the lack of digital structures in our school systems, both on a technical level and on a content-related-didactic level. Accordingly, there is a need to build capacities for online and hybrid learning, for high-quality content and, generally to further develop the skills of students and teachers for remote learning and teaching. New, innovative teaching formats that can be used in various scenarios – virtual, hybrid, or on-site – are therefore essential. The main objective of the “Hands-on-Remote” project is to improve the digital skills of teachers and students and to pro- vide teachers in vocational education1 with free resources so that they can react flexibly, with innovative approaches and high-quality concepts in various corona-related scenarios. Practical work is part of general school practice in vocational schools and essential for learning technical, IT, and scientif- ic methods. However, during Covid-19 measures, a lot of this became simply impossible. This is exactly where our project comes in: We want to enable vocational training teachers to carry out classic hands-on student experiments with virtual support in flexible locations – at home, in several locations at the same time, or with appropriate distance in a classroom – depending on the hygienic and security requirements. A second challenge of the pandemic situation is the isolation of people, thus a lack of a ‘school community’. By linking experi- ments as well as students, a shared experimental situation is created that awakens motivation and interest and promotes cohesion – both locally and in Europe. 1 In the development we focused on vocational educations, since there is an increased need in practical work – however, the modules and especially the teaching methods are universal can be used in any secondary school. 7 1.2. This Guidebook The COVID-19-crisis is perceived as a ‘turning point’ regarding the use of technology in education and training and, con- nected to this, the need for high-quality digital content being readily available and affordable for learners and educators has been underlined. At the same time, there is interest in capac- itating teachers for developing their own teaching contents – based on the hands-on remote scheme. This guidebook aims to assist teachers in doing so by laying out the general princi- ples and theoretical background of this scheme. Transforming the teaching of hands-on experiments into the digital realm allows not only to improve the education situation for (vocational) students under any pandemic conditions but also allows a closer link between work at home and work at school. In addition, the approach seems likewise usefully in sit- uations beyond the pandemic: The type of digital collaboration proposed can support international teams in their coopera- tion – and possibly save some air travel and CO² emissions, es- pecially in view of the climate crisis. The hands-on remote ap- proach can also enable distance learning during local weather events - also an important consideration at this time, due to class cancellations and learning delays caused by Corona. Educators from other fields (e.g., out-of-school learning places as museums, science centers, or student laboratories) may as well be interested to create their own resources and develop new ideas based on the foundations laid in this project. This guidebook is made available in two versions – digital and printed – with the purpose of enhancing the visibility of the project and inspiring new users to apply the teaching modules and the project’s core idea of hands-on remote teaching in group settings. The dissemination of this guidebook in different events – teachers’ professional development initiatives, school information events and conferences – will ensure a long-term and flexible use of the material and ideas developed in the “Hands-on-Remote” project. 8 This guidebook includes several sections: 1. A short and practice-oriented theoretical background on re- mote teaching, including a special focus on remote hands-on activities and the group building measures that are a core part of each module; 2. A collection of hands-on remote learning examples from other projects; 3. Several practice-oriented How-To’s on developing exemplary remote hands-on experiments; 4. A section on considerations that lead to the current form of the teaching modules (“Why did we develop the modules as they are?”); 5. A detailed description of the modules from a developmental perspective. 9 10 2. A practice-oriented theoretical background on remote teaching with a special focus on remote hands-on activities Practical work (hands-on activities performed by students) and experimentation (hands-on activities where students can introduce changes in some variables and observe the effect of those changes in some phenomenon) are important compo- nents of general school practice in vocational schools and es- sential for learning science, technology and engineer concepts and processes (Lytvyn et al., 2020). However, during Covid-19 restrictions, these educational practices were impossible to perform in presence at schools. This situation provided a good context and pretext for the exploration of good educational alternatives to these presential activities. Several institutions tried to bypass the limitations imposed by Covid-19, adopting different strategies: a) developing kits with the necessary materials for the implementation of prac- tical activities at home and sending them by mail to students; b) resorting to remote experiments made available at remote labs; c) resorting to simulators of phenomena made available at digital labs. All these options can also be particularly useful to overcome the disadvantages of traditional hands-on labs such as limited availability, expensive maintenance and safety problems (Destino et al., 2021; Gomes and Bogosyan, 2009; Ma and Nickerson, 2006; Schmidt et al., 2021; Tiernan, 2010). In this guidebook we will refer to three different types of exper- iments according to the way resources are accessed (remote or local) and the physical nature of the lab (simulated or real). Our modules resort to experiments that are: a) local and real (to be implemented by the students at their home through the use of resources sent by mail or available at their place); b) remote and real (real experiments based in a physical lab – remote experiments – to be accessed and controlled syn- chronously by students, on a time of their own choice, through 11 Internet connection); and c) remote and virtual (virtual experiments, mainly simulations – based in a virtual lab, – to be accessed and controlled by students, on a time of their own choice, through Internet connection). Several projects of kitchen chemistry (materials bought by the students or sent home as a package by the teacher) have been created in response to the disruptions caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The low cost of these kits offers an opportunity to address unmet needs for lab experiences in this kind of circumstance (Destino et al., 2021). Schmidt et al. (2021), for example, developed a set of remote learning modules that use household adhesives as a context for teaching organic and polymer chemistry remotely. These modules provide hands- on learning experiences, about polymer chemistry, outside of the traditional laboratory. The modules: a) address the key-concepts of polymer synthesis, intermolecular interactions, thermomechanical properties, structure−function relationships, and molecular design; and b) promote research skills such as searching for primary literature sources, producing test sam- ples, explaining unexpected experimental results, and revising experimental procedures. In another project, students felt empowered by building and tracing circuits at home, with affordable materials, as com- pared to using expensive high-fidelity devices at the university. The use of their own self-made loudspeaker to validate circuit functionality was particularly rewarding for students (Ala- matsaz and Ihlefeld, 2021). However, nowadays, remote experiments seem to be gaining ground relatively to other available means to perform exper- iments. Remote experiments have two basic characteristics: 1) the user and the experimental setup are located at different places (e.g., the user is at home and the setup is in a lab); and 2) they use a real experimental setup possible to be activated and controlled through Internet (Gomes and Bogosyan, 2009). This kind of setup (available 24/7) allows remote experiments to be conducted as homework (from any other place), without risk of damaging the equipment or necessity to have multi- ple instruments, and with the possibility of repeating as many 12 times as desired without health risks. The control of the ex- periment (of its variables and logic) through Internet permits the student to resolve possible problems, activating inputs and observing the consequent outputs. This way, the remote laboratory reduces the costs significantly, making lab experi- ments available at any time and place, accommodating larger groups of students and personalizing student’s learning path- ways (Callaghan et al., 2021; Gomes and Bogosyan, 2009; Tatli and Ayas, 2020; Tiernan, 2010). In spite of all the benefits of virtual laboratories, there are some limitations. One is that in most of the cases, only one user can perform an experiment at a time. However, sometimes, a scheduling system is available, allowing the allocation of time for each user. Other limitations are: a) the lack of opportunity to experience realistic troubleshooting based on unexpected results (an important skill for scientific research); and b) the oversimplification of health and safety in the lab environment (Lewis, 2014; Tatli and Ayas, 2020). Another less expensive opportunity offered by the evolution of technology (and currently being intensively developed) are virtual labs (Heradio et al., 2016; Villalba et al., 2008), involving web based applications (simulators) in order to help students to understand complex processes (Chittaro and Buttussi, 2015; García-Zubia et al., 2009; Manuel et al., 2019). They also have the benefit of enabling students to work collaboratively at the same time (De la Torre et al., 2015), what is not allowed by remote labs. However, they don’t provide real visualization of information from the laboratory like the remote labs (Borrero and Marquez, 2012; Rodriguez-Gil et al., 2014). Besides the important benefits of reduced costs, enhanced availability and accessibility, improved autonomy and flexi- bility during learning process, large-scale observability, and increased safety, some studies show that virtual labs can replace the position of the practice labs (Brinson, 2015) and attract students to STEM related fields of study and careers (Kolloffel and de Jong, 2013). However, the impossibility of real research, affects the full development of practical skills (e.g., the use of measuring instruments and how they are connected 13 and the measurement of physical quantities) (Jaakkola et al., 2011; Zacharia, 2007), requiring a balanced combination with practical laboratories (Brinson, 2015; Zacharia et al., 2008). Remote and virtual labs are used in different countries for vo- cational education (e.g., Poland, Portugal, Indonesia and Brazil), allowing to promote a more independent and flexible learning, according to the needs of students, and a more practical and efficient learning in contexts strongly affected by the lack of resources (Grądzki, 2021). 14 3. Hands-on remote learning examples from other projects No. Title/Institution Topics Form (LR, RR, RV*) Languages 1. Experimentieren@home/ Science and Hands-on ex- German Deutsches Museum Technology, periments to do especially at home, with physics supporting video materials (LR) 2. Museum-on-Demand/ Physics, Museum visit via German Deutsches Museum Elementary video confer- Science ence in com- bination with exhibition-related experiments that students can per- form at home or at school (LR) 3. PhIT with the Arduino/ Physics, Livestream German Technical University of Informatics, Workshop with Munich Technology the opportunity to program and experiment right away 4. Remote Robotics – Mission Robotics, Livestream Work- German on the Moon/Technical Informatics shop between University of Munich School and “Moon” (university lab) (RR) 5. Laboratorio Remoto de Physics Remote lab with a English, wide Fisica/Federal University of choice of several range of Itajubá/Institute of Educa- physics experi- European tion, Lisbon University ments (RR) languag- es, Asian and African languages 6. e-lab romote laboratories/ Physics Remote lab with a English Instituto Superior Técnico choice of several (IST), Lisbon University physics experi- ments including data analysis tools (RR) 7. Robolab/University of Robotics, Simulation, Re- English, Alicante Automatics mote lab’ (RR, RV) Spanish 15 8. #kopernikwdomu, eSzkola Physics, Video materials Polish Nauka z CNK/Centrum Chemistry, with hands-on-ex- Nauki Kopernik Biology periments to do at home (LR) 9. Science for You/Ministry Physics Simple and fast Polish of Science and Higher experiments to Education, Poland/Cen- do at home or at trum Nauki Kopernik school, mobile exhibitions (LR) 10. LabXChange/Harvard Uni- Among oth- Interactives, Simu- Among oth- versity with support from ers: Biological lations (RV) ers: Arabic, Amgen Foundation Sciences, Chinese, Health Sci- Dutch, Eng- ence, Physics, lish, French, Chemistry, German, Science & So- Italian, Polish, ciety, Scientif- Portuguese, ic Process, Spanish, Global Health, Turkish, Data Science, Ukrainian Mathematics 11. Virtual Biology Lab/Virtual Biology Interactive sto- English Biology Lab (Ecology, chastic Simula- Evolution, Cell tions, (HTML, HTML Biology) 5), the data gener- ated are realistic (RV) 12. Learn.Genetics Genetic Genetics Interactive lab English Science Learning Center/ practices, videos University of Utah (RV) 13. Virtual Labs/South Dakota Food Safety Interactive Simu- English State University, North Da- lations (HTML 5), kota State University, New videos (RV) Mexico State University 14. Phet-Interactive Simula- Physics, Interactive Simula- English, a tions/University of Colora- Chemistry, tions (RV) wide range do Boulder Math, Earth of European Science, languag- Biology es, several African and Asian languages 15. Praxilabs/Praxilabs Biology, 3D interactive Vir- Arabic, Chemistry, tual Labs (RV) English Physics *LR: Local and real experiments, RR: Remote and real experiments, RV: Remote and virtual experiments (s. categorization in chapter 2) 16 1. Science and physics with household materials The Deutsches Museum developed a collection of activities and experiments on several topics (e.g., “How to distinguish raw from boiled eggs?”, “How does the egg get into the bottle”, “Building boats”, “DIY-Robots” and “Cloud chamber”), that students can do at home (https://www.deutsches-museum. de/museumsinsel/programm/programm-a-z/ experimentierenhome). This Experiment@home program is supported by online videos available at https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLqvZktQdyL4uGgib_OhBQsprWAJCBd75G 2. Virtual museum tours combined with science experiments in the classroom Also created by the Deutsches Museum, the digital & analog Program allows students to try something out with their own hands despite the physical distance to the museum (https:// www.deutsches-museum.de/museum/ueber-uns/bildung/ museum-on-demand). This program brings the museum virtually into the classroom (or students’ home) and provides the appropriate experi- ments and materials (sending material packages by mail beforehand). 17 Figure 1  The Museum-on-Demand Program “analog-digital” (Deutsches Museum) Through video conferencing software and the help of expe- rienced guides, students can wander through the exhibitions and try things out using the resources from the material pack- ages, allowing them to deepen the understanding of what they were able to see. The “Digital & Analogue” programmes offered cover energy, engines, statics and bridge building for Sekondary School students, and water, hydraulic engineering and bridge building for primary school students. Figure 2  Interaction with an expert guide (Deutsches Museum) For example, this program allows Secondary Schools to have contact with energy and motors. After a virtual tour to the Power Machinery exhibition, focused on ways of using differ- ent forms of energy, students are invited to conduct experi- ments on energy conversion using simple electric motors from a material package mailed by the Deutsches Museum 18 (https://www.deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/pro- gramm/angebot/digital-analog-energie-und-motoren). Another proposal allows Elementary School students to gain experience with the properties of materials and develop their own ideas on how these properties can be used technically. After a virtual tour to a water and bridge building exhibition, students carry out simple experiments themselves (e.g., designing and building their own bridges and discovering what is important in bridge construction)(https://www. deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/programm/angebot/ digital-analog-bruecken-bauen). 19 3. Physics and informatics with the Arduino with shipped material kits The Technical University of Munich (TUM) proposes a remote learning measurement experiment in the cross section of physics, informatics and technology (“PhIT with the Arduino”), helping students in their first steps with the Arduino at home. In order to support them tinkering with their own kit of materials, the university offers a livestream workshop that provides the opportunity to program and experiment right away. In this workshop, students learn how to use a smartphone as a measurement monitor and to control the measurements remotely (https://vimeo.com/511635767). 4. Programming remote robots with school classes The project “Remote Robotics – Mission on the Moon” allows students to control a robot “on the moon” by programming it remotely (https://www.edu.sot.tum.de/tumlab/kursangebot/ technik/robotik/robotik-mondmission/). Students can sit at their home’s or their school’s computer lab and control real robots that are located at the university lab (the “moon”). In one window, the students have the programming interface, in the other window they can observe through video conference how the robot moves. They can complete an experiment in the same way as if they were in the real laboratory. The only prerequisite for this program is a very good Internet connection between the two locations. 20 5. Remote physics laboratory https://labremoto.unifei.edu.br/src/welcome.php This remote Physics laboratory offers real experiments that users can operate remotely, even with a cell phone. The exper- iments cover topics such as Standing Waves, Physical Optics, Hydrostatic, Thermometry, Thomson Ring or Light curve. The laboratory provides additional materials for the experiments, e.g. files with Arduino codes. 21 6. Remote lab with physics experiments http://www.elab.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/ e-lab is a remotely controlled laboratory hosted at the Univer- sity of Lisbon. This laboratory provides remote control of real physics experiments over the Internet. Its main purposes are: • to provide e-learning of science (24 hours per day and 7 days a week), by providing real scientific experiments (remote- ly controlled) and the tools needed for the subsequent data analysis, • to provide to teachers and professors an auxiliary tool based on information and communication technologies for science, • to motivate students to learn science by showing them real situations that prove the theory, • to access data previously collected on in-person experiments, • to perform not so safe experiments (e.g. radioactivity), to provide expensive experiments which cannot be acquired by a school or institution. Because of this, e-lab is a free, accessible, remotely controlled laboratory and can be accessed by every- one which has a computer with internet. Some examples of experiments: Thermal Conductivity of Met- als; Dielectric effect in a Cylindric Capacitor; Damped Pendu- lum Oscillations; Boyle-Mariotte Law; Dice Statistics; Free Fall; Elastic Collisions. 22 7. Virtual robotics lab and remote control of robot arm The University of Alicante (Spain) developed a virtual lab (RobUALab – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S1474667015315822) for training and learning in Automatics and Robotics. This system allows users to simulate and test positioning commands (through the Internet) for a robot in a virtual environment with augmented reality support. This system provides a complete robot and world simulation, a very realistic 3D graphical environment, robot dynamics, programming, remote power, lightning and robot control, and augmented reality. 23 8. Science experiments with household materials via TV and YouTube The Centrum Nauki Kopernik proposes video materials with simple hands-on experiments that students can do at home. They are available at a TV channel and a YouTube channel. TV channel: https://vod.tvp.pl/video/ eszkola-nauka-z-cnk,doswiadczenie-fizyczne-cnk-soczew- ka,47432293 https://vod.tvp.pl/video/ eszkola-nauka-z-cnk,doswiadczenie-fizyczne-cnk-para- doks-lejka,47432212 https://vod.tvp.pl/video/ eszkola-nauka-z-cnk,doswiadczenie-fizy- czne-cnk-oporne-powietrze,47432292 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/kopernikwdomu 24 9. Physics with household materials and mobile exhibitions for schools The Centrum Nauki Kopernik also offers the program “Science for You” with simple and fast experiments in physics, that students can performe on their own at home or in school (https://www.kopernik.org.pl/en/learning/science-for-you). Several buses transport mobile exhibitions to schools in more distant regions. 25 10. Student-centered online learning with simulations and interactives on different topics https://www.labxchange.org LabXchange is an initiative of Global Education Coalition form UNESCO aimed at supporting the millions of students worldwide that lack access to high-quality science education and expe- riences. It was launched to ensure that students everywhere have equal opportunity to be successful in science. LabXchange is a project from Harvard University funded by the Amgen Foundation that makes the best of digital science education available to the world for free through a flexible and interactive online platform. It includes many virtual lab simulations and interactive animations that can be articulat- ed according to different learning contexts and necessities. Several social features (private classes, discussion forums, and mentorship) are available in order to connect learners with educators and researchers worldwide. Some free professional development webinars show educators how to use LabXchange to support differentiated, student-cen- tered online learning, develop student lab skills and scientific literacy, and help students explore STEM careers. As an example, it includes simulations (about several subjects) aimed at: a) testing the pH of different things like coffee, spit and soap; b) exploring causes of evolution and Hardy-Wein- berg Equilibrium through a Guppy Evolution Simulation; c) exploring a fragment of a DNA strand; d) introducing gel electrophoresis, a technique used to separate biological molecules; e) transforming bacterial cells with a recombinant plasmid using the heat shock method; f) moving the sun, earth, moon and space station to see how it affects their gravitational 26 forces and orbital paths; g) understanding the relation be- tween temperature and pressure; h) visualizing the gravitation- al force that two objects exert on each other and to adjust properties of the objects in order to see how changing the properties affects the gravitational attraction. 27 11. Virtual experimentation in biology with realistic data https://virtualbiologylab.org Virtual Biology Lab is a free educational resource that simulates natural environments with the way life responds to changing conditions. It allows students to learn by experimentation: pa- rameters and conditions can be easily changed for observable effects and consequences. The data generated are realis- tic and displayed numerically and graphically. Students can design experiments, conduct them using models, and collect data that can be analyzed using different software. The Virtual Biology Lab includes: 1. ecology models (population ecology, community ecology, be- havioral ecology, conservation ecology, biodiversity ecology); 2. evolution models (population genetics, selection); and 3. cell biology models (membranes). 28 12. Interactive lab practices in genetics https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/ Learn.Genetics developed by the University of Utah includes virtual labs about several topics: e.g., DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, PCR and DNA microarray. 29 13. Interactive simulations on food safety https://virtuallabs.nmsu.edu/index.php The Virtual Labs help students to learn basic laboratory tech- niques and practice methods used by lab technicians and researchers in a variety of careers related with food science lab processes. 30 14. PhET Interactive Simulationsfor Science and Math https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse The University of Colorado Boulder offers a collection of nu- merous interactive simulations for science and math, the PhET interactive simulations. These simulations are very suitable for a flexible use in many teaching situations, and help students explore the different fields of physics, chemistry, mathematics, earth science, and biology. Students can run the simulations online or download them to their computer. The interactions are intuitive to use and allow students to analyse the effects of the changes they make immediately. By exploring the simula- tions, the students can answer scientific questions. In addition, students can use measurement devices that allow quantitative observations within the simulations. Materials for teachers on how to use the simulations are available on the site, including tips on remote learning with PhET and virtual workshops (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/ teaching-resources/tipsForUsingPhet). Many of the interac- tive simulations are available in multiple languages. (https:// phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/translated) This supports e.g. international cooperation of different schools or the active participation especially of foreign students in the class, who do not speak the national language very well yet. In the link of a specific simulation, only the two-digit country code has to be changed accordingly. 31 15. 3D interactive virtual labs on biology, chemistry and physics https://praxilabs.com PraxiLabs allow students to conduct science experiments anywhere via 3D interactive virtual labs. It includes immersive virtual experiments on three main subjects: 1. biology (from DNA extraction and genetic cloning to tissue cul- ture and protein electrophoresis); 2. chemistry (general, analytical, and organic); and 3. physics (nuclear physics, thermodynamics, electricity, and more). PraxiLabs promote learning and understanding through experimentation without any hazard or high costs. 32 4. Practice-oriented advices on developing remote hands-on experiments and promoting the sense of community among students’ The development of remote hands-on experiments can rep- resent a challenge for both students and teachers not used to this kind of activities. While some obstacles and difficulties cannot be easily surpassed (e.g. unreliable internet connection and unstable home situations), others can be solved with an adequate planning and specific strategies. During the implementation of remote hands-on experiments students can feel disconnected from their colleagues. This feeling can be quite common. In order to reduce it, it is impor- tant to propose situations (coordinated by teachers) to foster students’ interaction and to develop the sense of community among them. Providing contexts for students’ presentation and discussion of the experiments can be effective in decreasing this sense of isolation and, at the same time, increasing the chance to think about the science concepts and to promote higher-order learning. These contexts can be synchronous (e.g. through on-line conferences using tools such as Zoom – https://zoom.us, Google Meet – https://meet.google.com, and Skype – https://www.skype.com) or asynchronous (resorting to on-line platforms where students can discuss in chats or discussion forums). The interaction and the sense of community can also be pro- moted through the collaborative development of documents, such as: a. concept and mind maps about specific scientific topics, allow- ing the detection and the discussion of alternative conceptions (e.g. using Popplet – https://www.popplet.com/ – or Padlet – https://padlet.com/); 33 b. activity plans or reports through virtual bulletin boards and post-it walls (e.g. using Padlet – https://padlet.com/); c. reports and presentations articulating the findings and re- sults obtained by different students (e.g. using Google Docs - https://docs.google.com/ that allows the creation, storage, real-time edition and sharing of web-based documents, spreadsheets, and presentations). This collaborative development of on-line materials can be done in real-time (synchronously) or asynchronously (respect- ing students’ different schedules and work speeds and allowing the later participation of those students who have to share just one computer with several brothers and/or sisters). Some students can have difficulties in organizing their activities at home and to work in teams without the teachers’ supervision in presence. To help students in these tasks, teachers should provide detailed scheduling milestones and assessment/de- liverable information for the activities, offering guidance for effective student progress. Team-work in remote settings works better with groups of 3–4 students where each one is responsi- ble for specific tasks/roles. This helps introducing accountabili- ty to the process and allows students to allocate their energy to thinking and learning, instead of being constantly worried with finding an appropriate plan. Regular short on-line meetings with the teacher allow for the early detection of difficulties and the necessary support to overcome them. The teachers’ responsiveness to questions and strong presence in the on-line environment (providing feedback on the collaborative tasks) are important factors for the success of educational proposals involving remote hands- on experiments. 34 5. The “Hands-on-Remote” modules 5.1. The rationale behind the modules Teachers themselves were involved as co-creators of resourc- es. Implementation support will not only helped in the uptake through the teachers, but also at the same time allowed a continuous quality enhancement of the teaching modules. To enhance the sustainability of the intellectual outputs, the teaching modules are accompanied by step-by-step instruc- tions that enable independent implementation of the concepts. The development of practical learning units that enable the use of hands-on-experiments in online-, hybrid- and on-site face- to-face-learning is key to our project. Due to COVID-19 and the multitude of uncertainties that the pandemic comes along with there is a need for flexible solutions that teachers can use to support their students in each of the possible scenarios (virtual, hybrid, presence learning). So far, there is little evi- dence of COVID-compatible, tailor-made solutions for voca- tional schools to assist them in the continuation of their lessons under corona-conditions. Practical work and experimentation are part of general school practice in vocational schools and are essential for learning technical, IT, and scientific methods. Therefore, the main goal of the project is the development of directly applicable teaching concepts for the use of hands-on experiments at vocational schools in different COVID-related scenarios and the documentation of these teaching concepts in a training module for teachers. Corona-related reduction of contacts is hard to endure, especially for young people. There- fore, a special focus was given to the generation of community experiences which are a creative and innovative element of the emerging concepts. To ensure a good fit with the teaching in vocational schools, a compact analysis assessed the actual demands of schools and teachers to define the key features of the program. Teach- ers themselves were involved as co-creators of resources. This took place through counseling, as well as direct inclusion 35 in the development process. As it is well known in profession- al teacher education, that the implementation in class after a successful training is still a huge hurdle, implementation support is provided for the teachers trained. Since the project is based on a digital system, it is easy for the partners to join e.g., the video call and support the teacher running the sessions for the first time in class. This not only eases the uptake through the teachers but at the same time allows a continuous quality enhancement of the teaching modules. Under the responsibility of the Deutsche Museum, a basic formative evaluation system was installed to accompany the development and implementation process and gain compara- tive insights into the different use scenarios and countries. This allowed collecting feedback from the teachers, as well as the students using the learning system. All teaching modules cover a longer time span in class, e.g., a plan of roughly six subsequent lessons. This secures that there is enough time to get familiar with the new learning approach and gain a deeper knowledge of the digital system, allowing the students to use it in multiple ways. On the other hand, it provides the possibility to run more complex experiments, that need more elaborate skills. Students then could use the digital system in their prep time and fulfill self-determined tasks with it. Additionally, the longer time span allows integrating tasks related to the socio-scientific challenges novel science and technology almost always has. For us, this connection between technology and society is crucial for understanding our current world (and especially the transnational factor) – it enables stu- dents to get a broader view on the topics and be empowered to take action. 36 The core elements of the resulting training module are: 1. A framing for the teacher to ease integration into curricula/ teaching 2. An introductory unit to the topic 3. Step-by-Step-Instructions for each of the hands-on teaching concepts in different settings (virtual, hybrid, presence) 4. A closing unit with reflecting tasks 5. Details on promoting the community experience 6. Documentation of possible difficulties with technical settings and feasible solutions 7. Documentation of tests and the results of the evaluation of these concepts All materials are organized in an appealing, interactive way, including interactive multimedia web files. The training mod- ule should enable teachers to apply the teaching concepts themselves at their vocational schools. The teachers can expand their digital competence, gain a stronger self-confi- dence in dealing with digital media, and conducting hands-on experiments with digital support. In combination, this should support increasing digital education readiness. Indirectly and in the long term, sectors with a shortage of skilled workers – for example in STEM-related vocations – will benefit if STEM education content can continue to be put into practice even under difficult conditions (like a pandemic) and interest in STEM topics can be awakened. A transfer of the teaching methodol- ogy and the learning content to other schools, as well as areas of non-formal education, is feasible and highly interesting. 37 5.2. Brief description of the different modules Automation in Miniature – Teaching module from Germany This module is recommended for 10th to 13th grade students (age 16–20 years old) and its expected duration is 3 hours for the main part and 5 or more hours for additional units. The teacher can select the order of activities to be performed by the students. The teaching module “Automation in Miniature” enables students to program a small production plant themselves and set it in motion. A traffic light module as status indicator, a light barrier and a turntable serve as hands-on elements, which together with various moving functional parts become a mini production plant. The teams program their plant using the Arduino microcontroller and a text-based programming language. The students can control the turntable as a fill- ing system – in which the light barrier detects a container on the turntable, the status display indicates a change of state by changing from red to green and a dispenser is used to fill something into the corresponding container. 38 Scheme with the activities’ sequence Teaching module Students program a small production plant and set it in Automation motion. The automatic filling system is made of simple materials and can be taken home by the students. Students can work together as a team, even in remote in miniature situations. Main teaching module Additional / optional units Unit 1a Unit 2a Unit 3a Unit 4 Unit 5 / 6 Brief introduction Online-Simulation Turntable Extensions to the Collaboration / to the topic automation Digital Collabora- Aim: Getting to Aim: Construction tion process Aim: Establishing know the online of the central part references to simulation of the production Aim: Transfer of Aim: Promoting everyday life and environment plant previously acquired collaboration professional “Wokwi”, which Task: Setting up knowledge to new among students, environments enables the the turntable, elements, Scope for including teamwork Task: Showing exchange of code adjusting the drive students‘ own and a sense of videos of various even in distance motor and letting projects community even in applications of learning the turntable move Task: Free choice distance learning turntables in Task: Finding by a quarter for the installation Task: Coupling of automation mistakes in a of other functional turntables of Wokwi-debugging parts like different teams; file and observing Unit 3b • LED status Using light Unit 1b the effects on simulated LEDs Light barrier indicator • Entrance Slide transmission to induce effects in • Ejector remote situations Introduction to the Aim: Using sensors Arduino Unit 2b for automated Aim: Introduction to programming Servomotor production, discussion of Unit 7 Unit 8 with Arduino IDE, measurements Automation in its Other uses of the using a first circuit Aim: Learning with sensors social context turntable design about the Task: Using the Task: Program- characteristics lightdependent Aim: Exploring and Aim: Encouraging ming of and functions of resistor (LDR) as a discussing the further engage- different-colored servomotors sensor in a reflex impact of ment with the LEDs, learning basic Task: Using light barrier to automation turntable commands and servomotors to control the processes on Task: Using the common move functional production process society turntable as a programming parts of the Task: Discussing sorting machine errors production plant advantages and detecting disadvantages of differences in automation using brightness or color; an Online-White- Using the turntable board, and as light-induced considering sound player, aspects like energy measuring Teachers can change the sequence of the demand, waste, brightness units and start with 3a/3b and follow-up etc. with 2a/2b. The six teaching units build on each other, but allow for a division into a beginner and an advanced program. At the beginning, some motivating insights into the industrial appli- cation of turntables put the school class in a fictional factory. For their mini-manufacturing plant, teams can choose what 39 they “produce” with their own fictional scenario. As an intro- duction to programming with the Arduino, the students first switch the LEDs of the status display on and off. They work with both a real and a virtual traffic light module for this purpose. An Internet-based simulation environment facilitates collabo- ration and the exchange of the programming created, so that close cooperation remains possible even in distance learning. The teams set the turntable in motion with a geared motor. Other functional elements of the system are moved back and forth between two positions by servomotors. Students first program the servomotor for the dispenser: they turn two gears to open a passage and drop something into a container. After that, teams can program other elements (passage for feeding parts, swivel arm for the ejector). The difficulty level can also be set at the programming level: If a teacher wants to use the module for an entry level, students enter only a few programming commands in a largely pre- defined programming. If a teacher wants to use the module for advanced programming, students have additional tasks, such as defining classes. An interactive instruction page allows teams to work largely independently, according to their own needs and at their own pace. In vocational schools for com- puter science, object-oriented programming is an important teaching topic. The designed module offers the chance to understand abstract principles of this programming style by means of real objects. The teams program servomotors for three real objects (passage for the dispenser, passage for the feeder, swivel arm for the ejector). In this way, the students can learn that different real objects of the same type are, in programming terms, different objects of the same class – an important insight in object-oriented programming. The topic of automation and its societal consequences affect many vocational students directly – as computer scientists, they will possibly program such systems, as automation tech- nicians they might build them and in other branches – such as food technology – they will work with such production systems. In a final lesson, students are encouraged to discuss and reflect on societal issues related to automation in order to consider their own future careers in a broader context. 40 The module aims primarily at vocational schools, but can also be used in other types of schools. The presented scenario of the mini production line is only one example of many possibilities for the uses of the turntable and the material kit. If you place a (self-designed) black and white pattern on the turntable, the light sensor can convert this brightness information into tones and simple rhythms for a sound output device – thus creating a simple sound machine. There are few limits to creativity... 41 Sound – Teaching module from Portugal This module is recommended for 8th-grade students (age 13-14 years old) and its expected duration is 18 hours in total. The teacher can select the activities to be developed by the students. Scheme with the activities’ sequence Teaching module Students build different type of musical instruments, Sound measure the sound level , measure the rate of reduction of the sound intensity of a model, and build a microphone Additional / Main teaching module optional unit for students aged 16 to 18 years old Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Musical instruments Sound level Acoustic insulation Microphone Aim: Learning about Aim: Learning about Aim: Learning about Aim: Learning about sound production, sound level sound-insulating Faraday law (or transmission and sounds Task: Using an APP, Task: Using an App, electromagnetic attributes students measure the students measure the induction), sound waves, Task: Constructing sound level in different rate of reduction of the magnetic and electric musical instruments and stations of their homes or sound intensity of a fields. getting to know the school. model to conclude that Task: Using an App or a online simulation some materials are more video, students build a sound-insulating than microphone with others. everyday materials. From this artifact, they explain the function of the materials used, as well as the operation of their own microphone. Sound module includes four units, entitled: Musical instru- ments, Sound level, Acoustic insulation, and Microphones. ‘Musical instruments’ is a hands-on activity. During the unit, students construct their musical instruments with everyday materials, and they study the sound waves associated with their instruments. Then, students open a ‘Sound Waves’ simu- lator and using a ‘Listen from a single source’, recreate sounds and associate a musical instrument constructed. In the unit ‘Sound level’, students are invited to measure the sound level in different stations of their homes or school. So, students should define different measurement stations in different locations at 42 home or school, and use their cell phones/tablet with the appli- cation that allows them to take measurements. During the unit ‘Acoustic insulation’, students must solve the following problem: ‘What will the two brothers do to soundproof the bedroom wall to reduce the noise produced at the festival?’ For that, using an app, students measure the rate of reduction of the sound intensity of a model to conclude that some materials are more sound-insulating than others. Finally, in the unit ‘Microphones’, students build a microphone. Before that, students can visu- alize a video about microphones and their construction using simple materials. 43 Sensors and Measurements – Teaching Module from Poland This module is recommended for 9–13th grade stu- dents (age 15–19 years old) and its expected duration is 14–16 hours in total. Most research work involves observation, analysis, and inter- pretation of results. When planning to get students interested in scientific research, it is worth supplementing their activities with these components as an essential part of the experimentator’s work. Due to the limited equipment conditions of schools and the pandemic necessity of conducting experiments at remote locations, often without the possibility to use specialized equip- ment, we suggest using materials and tools available in the household. 44 Scheme with the activities’ sequence Teaching module Students perform different experiments involving making Sensors DIY sensors. They investigate basic physics phenomena like elasticity, acceleration and electromagnetism.  and Measurements Students can work individually, or as a team. Remote collaboration is also possible.   Optional unit Main teaching module Unit 1 Unit 2a Unit 2b Unit 2c Measurement error Slingshot  Rubber band drive  Experiment results analysis Aim: Learning about Aim: Investigation of the Aim: Using the potential measurement errors distance of a fired object energy of elasticity to Aim: Presenting to the Task: Measuring diagonal – stretched rubber band  design a simple drive   group the analysis of the of a sheet of paper and Task: Building a simple Task: Building a car collected measurement calculating coarse/sys- slingshot model to make model with rubber band data and comparing the tematic errors some experiments  drive  results with other students  Task: Presentation of collected data by student groups  Unit 3a Unit 3b Unit 3c Teachers can change the Building the pendulum  Making a measuring Comparison of results  sequence of the modules tool  Aim: Using the pendulum Aim: Presenting to the or use only one as an to make some Aim: Making a remote group the analysis of the independent unit   measurements e.g. sensor to collect data collected measurement oscillation period  from the pendulum   data and comparing the Task: Building a model of Task: Using Arduino results with other mathematical pendulum Science Journal or students  using simple tools and NodeMCU to make Task: Presentation of materials simple sensor and collected data by collect data student groups Unit 4a Unit 4b Unit 4c Building an electromag- Building the sensor Sorting device  net  Aim: Finding the way of Aim: Using newly Aim: Building a simple measuring electromag- acquired knowledge to electromagnet model to netic field strength  design simple coin investigate electromag- Task: Measuring sorting device netism phenomenon  electromagnetic field Task: Building sorting Task: Measuring strength strength using a device using an of an electromagnet smartphone or DIY electromagnet using a compass and sensor (NodeMCU + Hall board with scale sensor)  The activity scenarios proposed in unit 1 (“Measurement Errors”) deal with the simplest of measurements, allowing students to understand that obtaining different results is normal in the world of measurement. For example, as a class we can 45 measure the diagonal of an A4 sheet of paper using a variety of school rulers, tape measures and carpenter’s tape measures to find out about gross, systematic and random errors. Stu- dents can also note the differences in the accuracy classes of instruments used. They can indicate their use in class-appro- priate measurements and suggest ways to obtain results that are more accurate. It is also valuable to discuss and answer the question of the “true” length of the diagonal of a measured sheet of paper. The quantities obtained as a result of direct measurements are often included in further calculations by applying formulas. The considerations involved in such activities can be examined us- ing the example of building a pendulum proposed in unit 1 and determining the value of the acceleration of gravity with it. In this case the students use a thread, a weight and a stopwatch to create the pendulum. It allows to investigate the influence of individual variables (e.g. length of the thread, period of oscil- lation) on the result and possible accumulation of errors, and also to notice the influence of the human factor and the value obtained by automatic measurements, which will be part of subsequent scenarios. The main theme of the scenario activities proposed in unit 2 (“In Motion”) is the potential energy of elasticity represented by the example of a stretched rubber band. Both the introductory experiment to investigate the distance of the bottle cap launch as a function of the rubber band tension deflection and the final vehicle race challenge address the same issue. Getting stu- dents interested in the transformation of potential energy to ki- netic energy and understanding the relationship defined by, for example, Hook’s Law can be made easier just by using elements from the environment rather than a specialized physics lab. Unit 2 scenario involves the construction of a vehicle in which the role of propulsion is played by a stretched, twisted rubber band. Pupils can freely determine the method of transmis- sion to the wheels and propose their own construction, but for the purpose of standardization of the challenge we have developed a model based on 3D printing. Students will receive printed components ready to assemble or they will print their 46 vehicles themselves using the files provided to them (per- haps making interesting modifications), developing digital competence. It is of course possible to organize competition between indi- vidual teams and constructions based on standard challenges, e.g. maximization of the distance travelled by the vehicle. But to broaden the construction and IT competences of the students, we suggest to extend the elements of the competition by using a smartphone with preloaded application such as Arduino Sci- ence Journal, which has the ability to record, for example, ac- celeration. The phone placed on the built vehicle (as a support platform) can record changes from the built-in accelerometer, which after appropriate mathematical transformations will al- low to determine the speed of the vehicle; This can be adopted is the proposed challenge “who is faster”. In the following sections we offer teachers the possibility to choose the measurement tools which they will use in the experiments, based on to the level of familiarity with program- ming (exhibited by their class as well as by themselves) so that they can feel confident with the implementation. The exper- iments described in the scenarios can be carried out using either a smartphone or a dedicated sensor operated by a microcontroller. The focus of unit 3 (“Pendulum”) is the motion of a pendulum. The experiment consists in measuring the period of oscillation of a mathematical pendulum, which will be built by students themselves. Measurements will be done using built-in sen- sors in a cell phone and a special application, or in a more advanced way, which consists in building a measuring device based on a light sensor and a microcontroller. The course will cover topics such as harmonic motion, acceleration, vibration theory, and data analysis. In unit 4 (“Electromagnetism”) students will construct a simple model of an electromagnet. With the help of an application in a phone or a self-made sensor (based on the Hall’s ef- fect), experiments will be carried out in order to determine the dependence of the intensity of the electromagnetic field on 47 the parameters of the electromagnet (e.g. the material of the core or the number of coils). On the basis of their observations and conclusions, the participants will build a simple device for sorting coins. 48 6. “Hands-on-Remote” Training/ Dissemination Scheme 6.1. Introduction The training and dissemination events are the key feature to make the Hands-on-Remote teaching program available to the wider community in Europe. The half-day workshops primarily address teachers and headmasters of vocational schools, but as well are open to teachers from other schools as well as people from informal science education who are inter- ested in using the modules. 6.2. Different phases for a teacher training/ dissemination workshop The teacher training/dissemination workshop is a crucial component of the “Hands-on-Remote” project, promoting the teachers’ capacitation for the modules’ implementation at their own classes. Typically, this kind of workshop will involve the following phases: 1. Presenting “Hands-on-Remote” project: the rationale and the modules – Using the guidebook to introduce the participants to the “Hands-on-Remote” project’s rational and modules. 2. Trying out “Hands-on-Remote” experiments – Trying out some Hands-on-Remote experiments from the teaching mod- ules, guided by developers and/or experienced teachers and discussing possible implementation challenges. This phase introduces teachers to each module and promotes the de- velopment of the pedagogical knowledge necessary for their implementation in the classroom. 3. Adapting “Hands-on-Remote” modules to participants’ con- texts – Hands-on activity of adapting/developing individual (or small group) proposals for implementation in each teacher’s 49 working context. This phase is critical in order to increase the probability of teachers’ utilization of the modules with their stu- dents. They will use the modules only if they correspond to their competences and perceived needs. 4. Discussing the different proposals – Sharing of proposals among participants and giving feedback to 2 colleagues (at least). This phase allows the improvement of the activities’ ed- ucational potential and a better adaptation to each teacher’s working context. 5. Implementing the proposals – Implementation of the proposals in each participant’s school/context. This phase reinforces the development of the pedagogical knowledge necessary to the modules’ implementation in the classroom. 6. Reflection on the implementation – Reflective report (individ- ual) on the experience: positive and negative aspects, sug- gestions for improvement. Group discussion of the different reports. This formative phase fosters the activities’ educational potential and the teacher’s pedagogical knowledge about their implementation in a specific context. Since we believe that for the users of the new teaching mod- ules it is really important to get support for the implementation in class, we will provide digital support for the first time use in class for each teacher. This can easily be done through video- conference in order to ease the implementation significantly. Further, the collection of feedback from real classroom scenar- ios will allow to improve the teaching modules. 50 7. Evaluation of modules In addition to the direct exchange with teachers during devel- opment, summative evaluation methods were used to optimize the development of the modules. In the following, the focus is on student feedback on the one hand, and on the other hand, the assessments of the application possibilities by the teachers who participated in dissemination events. For both studies, participants were surveyed with an online questionnaire immediately after the activity: for students, after completing the last learning unit of the module; for teachers, immediately after the dissemination event. Feedback from the students A total of 116 students participated in the study. Due to the slightly eased COVID situation, 83% of the students participated in a classroom setting, whereas 17% attended the module at home. The hybrid situation with part of the class being at school and the other part staying at home was tested only twice with no students participating in the survey. The feedback on the teaching was rather positive. All scales were to be rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree (plus option 5 = not applica- ble). The average ratings for all items in the scale “Hands-on Experiments” (Fig. 3) range between 3.08 and 3.68, i.e. between the options agree and strongly agree. However, comparing the data of the student’s perception of the hands-on experiments in a classroom vs. an at-home teaching situation shows clear differences for both situations: experimenting in a remote ses- sion was judged less positive than in class. However – and this is interesting – the teamwork situation seemed to work slightly better in an online collaborative work situation than in the classroom. The stimulation to want to continue working with the material, as well as the enjoyment of the program were again more pronounced in the onsite module. 51 Hands-on Experiments class (n = 96) home (n = 20) There was plenty of time to experiment 3,57 3,30 The experiments were interesting 3,66 3,25 I was able to actively participate in the experimentation 3,65 3,50 The experiments could be carried out well in a team 3,42 3,50 The teamwork worked well 3,56 3,68 I would like to experiment further with the material 3,43 3,10 I enjoyed this part of the program 3,55 3,35 The material is easy to handle 3,08 3,10 1 2 3 4 Motivation class (n = 96) home (n = 20) 4 3,48 3,55 3,34 3,35 3,37 3,25 3 2 1 I went into the project Working with hands-on The team tasks motivated experiments has have boosted from the start increased my motivation my motivation Figure 3:  Comparison of the perception of hands-on experiments and student motiva- tion in classroom vs. home teaching situations (both Likert scale with 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree). The motivation was assessed by three questions targeting the motivation at the start, working with experiments, and the teamwork in the module (student self-evaluation). The impact on student motivation is quite equal for both learning settings, however, it seems to make a difference when it comes to work- ing with the hands-on experiment: at home, this is perceived as less motivating – which is in line with the findings on judging the experiments mentioned above. The team tasks, i.e. work- ing together, seem to have boosted motivation, especially for those working from home. 52 However, it should be borne in mind that these data originate from the first round of testing of the modules and are therefore subject to greater variation. In addition, the numbers of partic- ipants for the two situations are considerably different (96 vs. 20). Nevertheless, the trends provide interesting indications for the further development of the modules and methodological approaches. Assessment of the teachers By the time the Guidebook was printed, a total of 36 teach- ers had taken part in the study. One of the basic ideas of the Hands-on Remote project was to support teachers in teaching practical tasks remotely – on the one hand through ready- made modules that can be used directly, and on the other hand through teaching concepts that encourage them to develop and use their own content. In this respect, the stimulation of the teachers was an important aspect of our project outcomes and the dissemination events. 29 of the 36 teachers (85%) stated that they were more motivated to use remote experiments with their students after the event. In general, the usability of the concepts presented was rated very positively, ranging from 3.22 (remote teaching) to 3.36 (hybrid teaching) to 3.69 (face-to-face), depending on the field of application. (Likert scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree, cf. Fig. 4). The concept can be used well in … teaching 3,69 4 3,36 3,22 3 2 1 remote hybrid face-to-face Figure 4:  Usability of the teaching concept in different teaching situations, judgment by teachers taking part in dissemination events. (Likert scale with 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree, N=36) 53 It can be seen, however, that despite the design for different fields of application, the classic scenario receives the best rat- ing. Looking more closely at the more differentiated feedback (open responses), the concerns become clearer: One of the hurdles is the technical framework conditions for remote and hybrid teaching, both in terms of digital devices and the supply and distribution of materials for the experiments. The individual support of the single (remote) student is seen as an obsta- cle – the teachers name the difficulty to recognize problems/ mistakes and the high expenditure of time to support many students of a class individually and thus the difficulty to make progress within the class. Nevertheless, the teachers are mostly convinced that the Hands-on-Remote experiments can promote the team spirit of the students even in remote teaching: 16 teachers fully agree (39%), 13 agree (34%), while 7 are rather critical and disagree (18%). Since the course units can not only be used in different teach- ing scenarios (remote, hybrid, face-to-face) but can also be used with a different timing structure in class, the teachers were asked which organizational form of the courses they would prefer. 42% indicated that their preferred form would be continuous use (over several weeks) in the classroom, 34% would rather prefer a project day for the activities, while 24% would want to use an entire project week for this purpose. 54 8. Get in touch @ In case you have any questions, suggestions or need to discuss your own implementation, feel free to contact either the coor- dinator or the local partner in your country. Coordinator: Lorenz Kampschulte, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany – https://www.deutsches-museum.de/forschung/ person/lorenz-kampschulte Pedro Reis, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal – http://www.ie.ulisboa.pt/docente/pedro-reis Wojciech Karcz, Copernicus Science Center, Poland –

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Comparing and combining real and virtu- al experimentation: an effort to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of electric circuits. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23, 120-132. Zacharia, Z.C. Olympiou, G. & Papaevripidou, M. (2008). Ef- fects of Experimenting with Physical and Virtual Manipulatives on Students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(9), 1021-1035. 59 All materials are available at https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/ details/2020-1-DE02-KA226-VET-008295 The Hand-on Remote project was funded in the Erasmus+ KA226 Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness program (2020-1-DE02-KA226-VET-008295)