A virtual experiment and metacognition: an online experiment on measuring acceleration

Yu Lu and Ningsheng Ma
Tongji University
Shanghai, China

The learning process in the virtual experiment is divided into three levels: a cognitive experience layer to promote the learners’ ability to memorize, identify, visualize and integrate; a behavioural experience layer involving initiative, and application and practice; and a conscious and emotional experience layer that promotes learners’ values and emotional judgement, as well as a sense of self-fulfilment. The experimental system contains a number of cognitive activities which are supported by a metacognitive model of virtual experiments. An increasing number of educational virtual experiment systems are now running on the Internet. However, most learners master only the knowledge itself, ignoring the process of learning, and so it is necessary to emphasize the importance of metacognition.