Microcosm

Microcosm (definition): 

a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity (Meriam Webster Dictionary)

I use the word microcosm to refer to a classroom of students acting as scientific investigators to construct and deploy the laws and concepts of physics.  The classroom is a microcosm of the larger scientific community. 

I also use the word microcosm to refer to the use of technology to create a limited physical world, within which students can explore independently and figure things out for themselves.