Bridging the gap between virtual and physical laboratories: a web-based interactive platform for undergraduate physics practicals

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the challenges of maintaining hands-on laboratory instruction in undergraduate physics education. In response, we developed and deployed an interactive online physics laboratory platform designed to closely replicate the experimental setups available and curriculum of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata. The platform is designed to closely replicate real experimental arrangements and is aligned with the curriculum, allowing students to prepare effectively before performing physical experiments. Student feedback revealed that 100% of the respondents rated the platform as beneficial (rating 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) to improve conceptual understanding and increase confidence in conducting physical experiments. Furthermore, all students agreed that having access to the online prelab simulations is advantageous and recommended its regular use. These findings highlight the effectiveness of web-based simulations as a complementary and sustainable resource for physics education.