We investigated the benefits of using a virtual laboratory, Sniffy Lite CD—ROM (Alloway, Wilson, Graham, & Krames, 2000), as a supplemental teaching tool to present schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning. Our results suggest that using the virtual laboratory significantly enhanced understanding. Students who used the virtual laboratory earned a mean score of 76% on the measure of comprehension, whereas control group participants who studied an equivalent period of time as the virtual laboratory assignments earned 63%, as did those who received no intervention. Increased student comprehension supports the efficacy of this low-cost learning tool.
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