AWERProcedia Information Technology & Computer Science 1 (2012) 793-797 2 nd World Conference on Information Technology (WCIT-2011) Virtual educational applications - tools for iŶĐreasiŶg the pupils learning and motivation Laura Monica Gorghiu a *, Gabriel Gorghiu b , Adina Elena Glava c a Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Valahia University Targoviste, 18-24 Unirii Blvd., 130082 Targoviste, Romania b Electrical Engineering Faculty, Valahia University Targoviste, 18-24 Unirii Blvd., 130082 Targoviste, Romania c Faculty of Psychology and Science of Education, Babes-Bolyai University, 7 Sindicatelor Street, 400029 Cluj Napoca, Romania Abstract Nowadays science and technology are integrated on a large scale in schools. In many countries ICT is used widely near the traditional education methods, being integrated in specific learning techniques. Science education represents one of the areas where ICT ǁas iŶtroduĐed suĐĐessfullLJ, ďriŶgiŶg a real ĐoŶtriďutioŶ oŶ ĐhaŶgiŶg the pupils attitudes aŶd ŵotiǀatioŶ for learning specific science issues. Based on the real advantages that ICT offers to Science education, one of the main objectives of the Socrates-Comenius 2.1 EuropeaŶ projeĐt VccSSe - Virtual Community Collaborating Space for Science Education  (code 128989-CP-1-2006-1-RO-COMENIUS-C21) was to identify the suitable and up-to-date instruments which offer to Science teachers the possibility to effectively meet the national curriculum requirements through proposing dynamic and relevant learning situations, based on scientific experimentation using electronic means (mainly virtual experiments) and virtual learning spaces. For reaching the project aims specific software applications were tested and explored, providing - in this sense - a large variety of options, possible to be used for introducing and analyzing science contents in the classroom. More, the virtual educational applications have proved a certain formative power in a specific pedagogical context. The paper illustrates an analysis related to the feedback expressed by 2860 pupils who were involved in the lessons designed during the courses organized in the frame of the project. They had the opportunity to reflect on the impact of virtual experiments and tools for their learning and motivation, and on the aspects related to the introducing of virtual applications in their lessons. The analysis reflect that a great number of pupils appreciated the opportunity of interacting with the virt ual experimental spaces, specifically emphasizing on the following items: drawing, experimenting, understanding, feeling, and scaffolding. Keywords: Science education; Virtual learning space; Virtual experiment; Pupils’ feedback; Comenius 2.1 Project Selection and peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hafize Keser. ©2012 Academic World Education & Research Center. All rights reserved. *ADDRESS FOR CORRESPOND : Laura Monica, Gorghiu, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Valahia University Targoviste, 18-24 E-mail address: laura_monica@yahoo.com/ Tel.: +40-245-213382; fax: +40-245-213382 Unirii Blvd., 130082 Targoviste, Romania