APPLICATIONS FOR VIRTUAL LABORATORY

General presentation
The virtual laboratory is a good solution for the study of sciences, both for working with students effectively, in the classroom, and for online or mixed activities. It can make up for the lack of equipment, it can ensure increased security for both students and teachers, it is reusable, allowing students to resume a laboratory work as many times as they want, to clarify the study of a topic, it is useful and adaptable to people with physical disabilities , can contribute to the development of intra- and cross-curricular skills and competences, can represent an initiation in the design of adaptable educational activities.
Within the first intellectual output of the Science Connect project, we have developed three interactive multilingual java simulations, each with proposed approaches for their use as classic virtual laboratories
Also, we have proposed usage themes of a free software dedicated to STEM study, Tracker, integrating the making of video recordings, in laboratory conditions or outside it, with video analysis and processing of conclusions. Each theme has an introductory presentation of what is desired and the steps to follow to achieve the proposed objectives.
Last but not least, we used the Algodoo application, a free 2D sandbox type program based on physical laws, to allow students to create their own study situations, using interactive design tools. The simple mechanisms created allow interactions, real-time changes of the parameters, as well as the collection of data, their visualization and their use for further study, sharing and partial or total modification of the functional digital model. Algodoo allowed us to connect virtual laboratories with gamification, giving a new perspective to STEM study, at the same time facilitating the transition of the student from “consumer of education” to “creator of educational content”.