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Unit-24: E-Pedagogy, Web 2.0 Technology and Virtual Laboratories

24.6.4 Advantages of Virtual Laboratories Notes

In today’s computer era, distance education is establishing it new dimension at one side while on the
other side, technologies that are running it smoothly are making their place in the education system.
Due to these features, virtual class are being useful for teacher as well as students.
1. It is useful for students in teaching learning at any time or any place.
2. It is an supportive method of distance education because students can learn by getting involved in
any business.
3. It is an interesting and encouraging medium due to the use of new techniques and media.
4. Through of virtual laboratory system, every student can take adavatage of the skills, experience
and kwowledge of an effective teaching of any subject in the words which is useful for everyone in
economical terms.
5. Generally, every activity in virtual laboratory system takes place online such as registration, fees,
evaluation of teaching learning, information of achievements, providing results etc.
The best human resources are used for conducting virtual laboaratory in a better way as compared to
that of traditional class. Many problematic sides of tradtional classroom arrangement such as preparing
time-table, maintaining discipline, students attendace, adequate supply of teacher, teacher pique,
puntuality etc. can be avoided in the virtual lab.

24.6.5 Limitations of Virtual Laboratories

If virtual class has many advantages in terms of requirements and convenece of modern age then it also
has many limitations in terms of objective traditional class. These limitation are briefl y specified by the

following points—
1. The main purpose of the educational system is the all round development of the child; according to
which education has the responsibility for the mental, physical, ethical, moral, social and emotional
development of qualities but it is not possible to develop these qualities in virtual laboratory
system.
2. Conventional education system is supposed to has three main objectives - Cognitive, affective and
functional purpose. Among the three, even virtual laboratory get the cognitive and function objective
to some extent but it is not possible to attatin emotional objective and education process is considered
as incomplete without the development of emotional side.
3. Interaction between teachers and students is considered as the meaning of conducting traditional
educational system in which student’s character is directly effected by the teacher’s personality,
knowledge and experience which acts as a saved money in the student’s life. But it is not possible
in virtual laboratory.
4. Undoubtedly, this educational system is flexible in which time, place, pace and communication fl ow

don’t matter but this flexibility can lead students towards the wrong way. Especially for the students

of secondary and higher secondary class, discipline and teacher’s control is necessary.
5. This fact is also true that the student learns more by simulation from childhood to adulthood, seeing
their elders at home, and the teacher and other colleagues at school. In virtual laboratory system
any opportunity for simulation is not provided.
6. It is considered that experience and class interaction like traditional class teaching will be provided
through electronic devices but it is not possible in any way. Live experience, interaction, feeling of
social relations of human is not possible in virutal conditions.
7. In traditional education system, many physical defects and diseases are seen in the students who
are using devices very much. It has been concluded from researches that the excessive use electronic

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