Heuristic Evaluation of a Virtual Lab System

The paper specifies the development of synthetic laboratories to facilitate collaborative learning. We evaluated the usability of virtual labs that comprise media tools and complex computer simulations. The goal was to quantify impact of interactive 3D visualization on students during their conduct of simulated physical experiments at the same time from different places. Students experimented alone and together with data from engineering and meteorology. They worked under varying technical conditions during two test trials where we investigated the impact of stereo vision and collaboration tools on usability which comprises speed, accuracy, and satisfaction. Students enjoyed using the system, and the study showed three trends: (i) users’ performance increased when they wore stereo-glasses; (ii) voice chat was preferred over video conferencing; (iii) the system facilitated collaboration. Author