Teaching electric circuits using tangible and graphical user interfaces: A meta-analysis

Laboratories are considered to play a unique role in circuits teaching. Laboratories can be traditional, with physical components and desks, or virtual with graphical simulators. Applying these facilities in teaching, students can make experiments or measurements by exploring electric circuits’ features. However, an intriguing research question is whether physical components or graphical simulators are more appropriate to build knowledge, enhance skills and improve attitudes. Thus, the aim of this article is: 1) to perform a review in order to explore the characteristics of the studies that compare the tangible and graphical user interfaces and 2) to apply a meta-analysis for the effects of the interfaces under study. The meta-analysis included 88 studies with pre/post-tests designs with 2798 participants, which were emerged from: a) 4 databases, b) forward snowballing method. The review showed that the majority of researchers have focused on the knowledge gaining, while a few researchers have examined skills and attitudes. The meta-analysis showed that the combination of user interfaces (tangible/graphical) appears to be the most beneficial for students in the domain of electric circuits teaching.