Efficiency of a multimedia laboratory platform: investigating the influence of an adopted tool for teacher usage and student learning in Tashkent

Abstract:

Keywords: Digital learning tools, gender differences, multimedia learning, simulation-based education, student engagement, teacher adoption

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background and Importance of Simulation-Based Learning in Physics Education.

In recent years, technology-enhanced learning has significantly transformed the way science and physics are taught [1][2]. Traditional physics education often relies on textbook explanations and hands-on experiments, but these methods face limitations, including restricted laboratory access, safety concerns, and limited equipment availability [3][4]. The development of modern educational technologies in schools in Uzbekistan is heavily reliant on subsidy-based equipment, which indicates a shortage of necessary technological tools and resources in many educational institutions [5]. As a result, simulation-based learning has emerged as an effective solution to enhance conceptual understanding and engagement in physics education.

Simulation tools, such as Physics Education Technology (PhET) Interactive Simulations, provide dynamic, interactive, and visually engaging learning environments [6] that allow students to manipulate variables, observe real-time outcomes, and experiment in risk-free settings [7]. These tools align with constructivist learning theories, where students actively construct knowledge through exploration, inquiry, and problem-solving [8]. Students using digital simulations perform better in science assessments, showing improved conceptual understanding, problem-solving abilities, and retention of knowledge [8]. Additionally, [9][10] confirmed that interactive simulations promote student engagement and interest in physics, making science more accessible and enjoyable. However, despite these advantages, teacher adoption of simulation-based learning tools remains a challenge, requiring further investigation into usability, accessibility, and curriculum integration [4].

B.Emerging Aspects of Simulation-Based Learning

The use of multimedia physics platforms in secondary education is a growing research area, particularly in non-English-speaking educational contexts [11]. While existing studies have examined individual simulation tools, few have explored the impact of a structured, curriculum-aligned multimedia platform that integrates multiple digital learning resources. This study addresses several emerging aspects of simulation-based learning. The platform is designed to align with the national physics curriculum in Uzbekistan, ensuring accessibility for Uzbek-speaking students and teachers. It also examines whether perceived ease of use impacts teacher adoption of the platform.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

A.The Role of Simulations in Science Education.

The integration of simulations in science education has significantly transformed the way students engage with scientific concepts. Research has consistently demonstrated that interactive simulations improve conceptual understanding, engagement, and problem-solving skills in physics education [9]. Digital simulations, such as PhET, allow students to explore scientific phenomena dynamically, enabling self-paced learning and real-time experimentation [8]. While PhET Interactive Simulations have been extensively studied and recognized for their role in science education, our research focuses on adapting and integrating these simulations into a structured multimedia learning platform which contains supplementary instructional resources, such as videos, reading materials, and interactive exercises, and aligning content with the national physics curriculum tailored for Uzbekistan’s educational context.
Virtual labs have been shown to address common challenges in traditional physics education, such as limited access to laboratory equipment and safety concerns [10]. Furthermore, studies indicate that students who learn through interactive simulations perform significantly better than those using traditional methods [12]. These findings reinforce the need to investigate how a structured, curriculum-aligned multimedia platform can further improve learning outcomes and engagement in secondary physics education.

B.The Impact of Simulation-Based Learning on Student Conceptual Understanding.

Prior research has demonstrated that simulations bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. [8] investigated how PhET simulations improved students’ understanding of solubility concepts, revealing that students using simulations achieved significantly higher scores on science assessments compared to those using traditional textbook instruction. This aligns with [10], who found that students studying atomic physics with simulations demonstrated higher retention and application skills. Bloom’s Taxonomy has been widely used to evaluate cognitive development in simulation-based learning. Studies confirm that interactive simulations support higher-order cognitive skills, such as application, analysis, and evaluation [9]. Given these findings, this study investigates whether students using the multimedia physics platform exhibit improved conceptual understanding.

C.Teacher Adoption and Usability of Educational Technologies.

While many studies focus on student learning outcomes, fewer have examined teacher adoption of digital simulations. Ease of use [13] and perceived usefulness [14] have been critical factors for influencing teachers’ willingness to integrate educational technology into their instruction. Studies suggest that teachers are more likely to use digital tools if they are intuitive and aligned with the curriculum, highlighting the importance of usability in educational platform design [9]. Despite the proven benefits of simulations, research indicates that implementation challenges—such as technological barriers, lack of training, and usability concerns—can hinder adoption [12]. Given these challenges, this study seeks to evaluate whether perceived ease of multimedia use significantly impacts teacher adoption.

D.Student Engagement and Motivation in Digital Learning Environments.

Student engagement is a key predictor of academic success, particularly in STEM education. Simulation-based learning is known to increase student motivation and active participation [12]. [9] found that students using PhET simulations engaged in more discussions, problem-solving, and exploratory learning compared to those in traditional classroom settings. Moreover, research suggests that student engagement varies based on gender, prior experience, and digital literacy. [12] found that male students exhibited higher engagement levels in interactive simulations. Based on this, we evaluate whether simulation-based learning significantly enhance student engagement compared to traditional teaching methods.

E.Research Questions.

Based on the null hypotheses, the study addresses the following research questions:
RQ1. Does the multimedia physics platform significantly improve student learning outcomes compared to traditional instruction?
RQ2. Does the perceived usability of the multimedia platform influence teacher adoption?
RQ3. Does simulation-based learning significantly enhance student engagement compared to traditional teaching methods?

III.METHODOLOGY

This study employs a quasi-experimental research design with a pre-test/post-test approach to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimedia physics platform in enhancing student learning outcomes, and a survey for evaluating teacher adoption. The Web-based platform raqamlitalim.trm.uz was implemented by “Center for Educational Development”. The study compares simulation-based learning with traditional teaching methods for analysing the impact of digital tools in physics education.

The study was conducted in a secondary school in Tashkent city, Uzbekistan, focusing on 8th and 9th grade students. A total of 116 students participated, with 57 students in 8th grade and 59 students in 9th grade (Table I). Additionally, 15 teachers participated in the study, all of whom were women. They are teachers of subjects – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and Mathematics. Three of them were physics teachers who delivered the classes for experimental and control groups. They were responsible for delivering laboratory and classroom instruction using the multimedia in their physics platform in one group, while another group was taught using traditional methods. Students were randomly assigned into two groups. Experimental group is taught using the multimedia physics platform and control group is taught using traditional laboratory and textbook-based instruction. Both groups followed the same syllabus, topics, and learning objectives, ensuring comparability. To control for teacher instructional proficiency, the same instructor conducted lessons for both the experimental and control groups. This approach ensured that any observed differences in student performance were attributable to the intervention itself rather than variations in teaching styles or experience levels. The experiment duration was for two weeks, during which teachers integrated simulation-based learning into their lesson plans and laboratory activities.

The study used a pre-test/post-test approach to measure for both groups of students to assess their prior and after knowledge. Additionally, teacher surveys were conducted to assess usability, engagement, and perceptions of the platform. Pre-test/post-tests were created by a physics teacher who is closely familiar with the school syllabus, and another independent physics teacher was invited to verify the accuracy of the test questions and evaluate whether the assessed knowledge aligned with the lessons taught during the experiment. Teacher surveys can be found in (Table II). The survey items were also validated by two independent experts.

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

A.Teacher survey .

The teacher survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the multimedia platform, particularly in terms of usability, effectiveness in teaching, and its impact on student learning (Table II). Teachers rated the Ease of Use positively (average 4.37/5), highlighting its intuitive design, accessibility, and ease in finding resources, though some technical concerns were noted (3.87/5), suggesting occasional performance issues. The platform was also perceived as a valuable tool for lesson delivery (4.53/5), helping educators organize complex lessons, its alignment with textbooks. Notably, simulations were rated highly (4.73/5) for their ability to provide students with practical knowledge and a deeper conceptual understanding of scientific principles. This supports our second research question by showing that the usability does influence adoption.

The platform’s impact on student engagement and learning outcomes was significant, with teachers reporting that it increases student interest (4.67/5), improves conceptual understanding (4.73/5), and fosters interactive discussions (4.73/5) (Table II). These findings align with prior research suggesting that multimedia simulations enhance student engagement and active learning experiences. However, performance data did not show a significant improvement across different grades. While engagement appeared to be positively influenced by the platform, the learning outcome impact remained inconsistent, and this partly supports our third research question.

While the platform was widely accepted, minor technical issues related to loading speed and device compatibility were noted as areas for improvement. These findings support the research hypothesis that a well-structured multimedia platform can significantly improve teaching efficiency and student learning outcomes, demonstrating its potential to enhance instructional delivery, streamline teacher workloads, and create engaging learning experiences for students.

B.Student results.

Statistical analysis was conducted to compare pre-test and post-test scores across grades to assess the impact of multimedia adoption (Table III).

Descriptive statistics showed that 8th grade students had a mean pre-test score (M=38.07, SD=15.40) compared to a post-test score (M=32.63, SD=11.58), with a statistically significant difference, t=2.315, p=.024, suggesting a measurable impact of the intervention. For 9th-grade students, the pre-test mean score (M=32.88, SD=15.95) was compared to the post-test mean score (M=36.44, SD=10.63), with results showing no significant difference, t=−1.812, p=.075, indicating minimal impact. These results suggest that the multimedia intervention may have influenced learning outcomes differently across grade levels. The significant improvement observed in 8th grade students’ scores suggests that they may have benefited from the intervention. However, the lack of statistically significant change in 9th grade students’ performance raises questions regarding the effectiveness of the intervention for older students. Possible factors contributing to these outcomes could include variations in instructional engagement, content complexity, or differences in students’ adaptation to multimedia-based learning.

This indicates mixed outcomes. While 8th grade students showed a statistically significant improvement, 9th grade students did not. Thus, our first research question is partially supported, suggesting that the effectiveness of the platform varies by grade level.

Based on further analysis of the pre-test and post-test data, we identified several key knowledge areas where 9th grade students struggled the most. It may be related to curriculum difficulty, cognitive load theory, and instructional strategies. This suggests requirements for improvements, including structured problem-solving exercises alongside simulations to enhance higher-order thinking.

For gender differences in performance, results indicate that girls had slightly higher post-test scores than boys, which contrasts with previous research findings that suggest boys typically perform better in multimedia interventions. However, the p-value (0.39) is greater than 0.05, meaning this difference is not statistically significant. This suggests that there is no strong evidence to conclude that boys or girls performed significantly better than the other in the post-test (Table IV).

V.CONCLUSIONS

The study provides insights into the effectiveness of the multimedia platform in enhancing student learning and engagement, as well as its perceived usability and benefits from the teachers’ perspective. While the student performance results showed mixed outcomes across different grade levels, the teacher survey results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the platform’s usability and instructional value. 8th grade students demonstrated a better learning in post-test scores, suggesting that the intervention positively influenced their learning. However, 9th grade students did not show a significant change, indicating that the platform’s effectiveness might vary depending on grade level, cognitive development, or content complexity. These results suggest that while multimedia resources can enhance learning, their impact is not uniform across all student groups and may require tailored instructional strategies.

Test results for 9th grade students revealed that certain physics concepts posed significant challenges, particularly those related to relative humidity, surface and thermodynamic principles. These difficulties suggest that abstract physics concepts requiring quantitative analysis or application-based reasoning may need additional instructional support. Future implementations of multimedia platforms should consider integrating interactive measurement tools and real-life scenario simulations to reinforce these fundamental concepts.

Teacher survey results support the platform’s value, with educators rating it highly in terms of usability, lesson delivery support, and alignment with textbooks. Simulations were recognized as an effective tool for improving conceptual understanding and fostering student engagement. However, some technical concerns were noted, indicating the need for improvements in platform stability and accessibility to enhance adoption and effectiveness. Gender-based analysis showed that girls slightly outperformed boys in post-test scores, which contrasts with previous studies that found boys to benefit more from multimedia interventions.

However, this difference was not statistically significant in this case. This suggests that other contextual factors, such as instructional methods, prior knowledge, or digital literacy, may influence outcomes.

Finally, while the multimedia platform is perceived as a valuable educational tool, its effectiveness on student learning outcomes varies across different grades and demographic groups. Future improvements should focus on addressing technical concerns like portable on different devises, refining content alignment for higher grades, and exploring differentiated instructional approaches to maximize its impact. Since this study encompasses short-term experiment, additional research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of multimedia-based learning, assess how teacher training and implementation strategies influence outcomes, and explore potential gender-related learning differences in digital environments.

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All authors contributed equally to this work.

 Authors

Doniyorbek K. Ahmadaliev

is born in 1985, in Andijan province, Uzbekistan. He earned his PhD in Northeast Normal University, China. He has 12 years of experience at research and teaching with a main focus on machine learning for education technologies. He is now the head of division at the Republican scientific and methodological center for the development of education, Tashkent city, Uzbekistan.