High School Chemistry VR Chemistry Lab Makes Its Debut at Jiangsu Provincial Experiment Competition Finals 2026

2026 Jiangsu Provincial Primary and Secondary School Student Experiment Ability Competition Finals
High School Chemistry Virtual Lab Simulation Competition — Chemistry VR Chemistry Lab Makes Its Debut

The 2026 Jiangsu Provincial Primary and Secondary School Student Experiment Ability Competition Finals were held from July 26 to 28 at Jiangsu Yancheng Middle School. Hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and co-organized by the Jiangsu Provincial Educational Equipment and Work-Study Management Center, the Yancheng Municipal Bureau of Education, and Yancheng Middle School, the competition set four core evaluation stages: written exam and virtual lab simulation, individual experiment operation, collaborative experiment inquiry, and inquiry report writing. The event comprehensively assessed students’ scientific inquiry ability, experimental operation skills, logical thinking, teamwork, and scientific writing capabilities.

Notably, building on the physics virtual simulation experiment event from previous years, the high school chemistry VR Chemistry Lab was included in the competition evaluation system for the first time. This marks a significant leap in Jiangsu’s chemistry experiment assessment — shifting from “hands-on operation as the primary method” toward a “virtual-real integration, complementary verification” model — and provides a new leverage point for the digital transformation of chemistry experiment teaching.

01 · The Virtual Lab Simulation Event

High-quality competition questions require a high-level question-setting team. This year’s high school chemistry virtual lab simulation questions were developed under the leadership of Teacher Zheng Cheng from Nanjing Normal University Affiliated High School, with Professor Chen Kai from Xiaozhuang University participating in the question-setting process. This strong combination of “frontline secondary school teaching + university research” ensures that the competition questions align with high school chemistry curriculum standards and daily teaching practice, while maintaining scientific rigor in assessment and forward-looking technical vision — making the virtual lab simulation event truly “accurate in testing, fair in measurement, and clear in direction.”

Virtual-Real Integration of Three Classic Experiments

This year’s chemistry virtual lab simulation competition carefully selected three classic experiments: electrolysis of saturated brine, laboratory preparation of acetylene, and determination of molar volume of gas. These correspond respectively to three core competency areas: electrochemical principles, gas preparation and purification, and quantitative measurement with error analysis.

On the chemistry virtual lab simulation platform, the electrolysis of saturated brine brings invisible ion migration and electrode reactions to life right before students’ eyes, and chlorine gas testing carries no risk whatsoever. The laboratory preparation of acetylene turns the dangerously exothermic reaction of calcium carbide with water into an operation students can try with confidence, allowing them to intuitively understand equipment selection and the standard procedures for impurity removal and gas collection. The molar volume of gas determination transforms isobaric readings, temperature-pressure effects, and sources of error into sets of visualized data, helping students build rigorous quantitative thinking.

The three experiments vary in difficulty with clear gradation, introducing bold innovations on the foundation of traditional experiments.

Three experiments, three types of abilities — the virtual lab simulation uses a single approach to transform what was “too dangerous to do, too small to see, too hard to explain” into what is now “safe to practice, visible to observe, and clear to understand.”

02 · What Gaps the Chemistry VR Chemistry Lab Fills

Compared with physics experiments, high school chemistry experiments have their own unique characteristics, and the introduction of virtual simulation technology precisely fills several long-standing gaps in real-world teaching:

· High safety risks — Chemistry experiments often involve flammable, explosive, and toxic gases (such as acetylene and chlorine) as well as highly corrosive reagents. Real operations carry safety risks, and some schools, out of safety concerns, choose to “skip whatever can be skipped.”

· High equipment costs — Experiments like molar volume of gas determination require gas measuring devices, constant temperature water baths, and other specialized equipment. Configuration varies greatly between urban and rural areas, as well as among different schools, leading to uneven accessibility.

The characteristics of virtual lab simulation — repeatable, traceable, zero-risk, and visualizable — precisely address these pain points: students can practice operations repeatedly in a zero-risk environment.

03 · The Significance of Virtual Simulation Technology

Chemistry virtual simulation experiments are not simply a substitute for real operations; they represent an advanced assessment of experimental literacy. The competition event focuses on the following competency dimensions:

· Scientific inquiry — the ability to identify experimental objectives and design reasonable solutions in a virtual context;

· Operational standards — awareness of proper procedures in equipment assembly, instrument selection, and step execution;

· Data analysis — quantitative thinking in data collection, processing, and error analysis;

· Safety and environmental awareness — risk identification and proper handling of toxic and hazardous reagents and gases;

· Virtual-real transfer — the comprehensive literacy of transferring standards and principles learned in virtual environments to real experimental operations.

Teaching Implications: Promoting Education Through Competition, Integrating Virtual and Real

The debut of chemistry virtual simulation experiments represents an important step for Jiangsu’s experimental education system toward “virtual-real integration, unity of knowledge and practice.” When microscopic reaction mechanisms flow before students’ eyes, and when dangerous experimental operations can be practiced repeatedly with zero risk, the seeds of science find more fertile soil to grow in. We look forward to more young people igniting their passion for science through the two-way interaction between virtual and real environments, strengthening their foundation for innovation, and thriving in the rich soil of Jiangsu’s basic education.