The Effect of Procedural Guidance on Students’ Skill Enhancement in a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

Various cognitive aids (such as change of color, arrows, etc.) are provided in virtual environments to assist users in task realization. These aids increase users’ performance but lead to reduced learning because there is less cognitive load on the users. In this paper we present a new concept of procedural guidance in which textual information regarding the procedure of a task is provided to users. The users convert this information into physical actions to complete the task, which enhances their learning by creating a consolidated mental model. We use Multimodal Virtual Chemistry Laboratory, where students simulate a chemistry experiment with the help of procedural guidance. Evaluations reveal that the proposed guidance enhances students’ learning and consequently increases their performance in real-world situations.