Online Scaffolding for Data Modeling in Low-Cost Physical Labs

There has been an ongoing debate of which physical labs or virtual labs are better. To resolve this issue, a remote lab provides an online lab that can do real experiments to obtain real data from a distant physical lab. Instead of relying on a remote lab, this article suggests that students collect experimental data locally with low-cost data loggers and then model the data with a web tool that provides scaffold support like a remote lab or virtual lab. In this study, 32 tenth-grade students ran physics labs and collected data with NXT, smartphones, and digital video recorder. This study investigates how a web tool assists in data visualization, hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing, and regulation of the discovery process. Results indicated the students became more sensitive in applying strategies of parameter tuning and backtracking. Questionnaire responses indicated the students found such physical labs to be satisfying.