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Experimental work is a vital component of science and engineering teaching at all levels.
The increasing use of multimedia packages or 'virtual science' has much to offer in terms of teaching scientific facts and principles, but does not generally focus on teaching the process of scientific enquiry or engineering practice. They will be able to interact with the remote experiment, change parameters and in some cases modify and design experiments. They will discuss their actions and what they anticipate will happen, and observe the results and analyse them. The process is real and so has an authenticity and unpredictability that simulations or descriptions cannot replicate. Access to laboratory equipment might be restricted for such reasons as geographical location, resource restrictions in an institution, inflexible scheduling, or because it is judged impossible to offer the facility to students in a safe way.