Versatile Instrumentation System for Science Education System (VISSER) Workshop

Abstract

We report on the progress of the Versatile Instrumentation System for Science Education System (VISSER) project of the DOST and the UP Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR) program that aims to address the problem of lack of equipment in school laboratories in the country. The goal is to design and develop home-grown experimental modules based on a handheld microcontroller-based universal platform in the core subject areas of science. VISSER has completed the development of 100 handheld devices and an equivalent number of learning set-ups and modules for biology, environmental science, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

We shall discuss in the sub-plenary the results of pilot tests and usability testing of the projects. Pilot tests of the experiments have been done in different public and private high schools in 6 key areas in the Philippines (NCR, Iligan City, Davao, Bicol, Baguio, and Mindoro). Evaluation done by teachers and students in the participating schools have shown that the VISSER handheld, set-ups, and modules have demonstrated that scientific experiments reinforced the students' understanding of scientific concepts taught in the classroom.

Finally, we shall conduct a demonstration of key experiments and future directions of the VISSER project and its application in other fields of science pedagogy and research.