From traditional to distance practice-oriented university course in professional training for pre-service biology teachers

Abstract

The current study investigated student's perception and experience on the distance practice-oriented university courses and virtual laboratory in particular. The virtual laboratories (virtual labs) concept is one of the challenges in higher education especially in the engineering education. Being more interactive they allow the students to acquire practical knowledge remotely. The university course is designed in different by function and content modules. Every module is built as a connection between scientific knowledge, embedded in biological disciplines, and its transformation into educational knowledge in school subjects in biology through system of knowledge and skills to actually convert the subject of learning. The purpose of this article is to discuss the results of a study of the quality of education in online practically oriented training course for pre-service biology teachers at the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, Bulgaria.

Keywords: Professional development, online learning, e-course, virtual lab, biology, teacher.