How Can Labs Be Delivered Online?

Across a suite of disciplines, labs are a crucial part of education and training. Immersing a student in a lab engages them and enables the building of a number of important skills. Additionally, it gives learners real-life experience which both brings a subject to life and builds career readiness.

With Higher Education Institutions still dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability and necessity of labs is a topic that lingers on. We take a look here at effective ways of teaching labs online and explore how a digital version of a lab can bolster learning experiences.

The first question we'll look at is: how does a virtual lab work? 

It's the case that across many science disciplines aren't complete without a lab component. Indeed, it's in the lab that students can build their analytic and predictive skills and that the subject can really be brought to life. During the pandemic, instructors were trying to figure out how to replicate this experience for their learners, with suggestions provided so that students could carry out some experiments in their kitchens.

Despite the best intentions, these efforts can only go so far. Medical students won't have access to the samples of body parts, for example, in their homes. And when this is the case, virtual labs are an excellent alternative.

These online equivalents provide students with science and medical simulations in a realistic environment, which learners are then free to safely experiment within, observe results, analyse outcomes, and correct mistakes. 

Students are able to complete the lab simulations on their own time and are often guided through specific steps, helping them to learn at their own pace. The functionality within some Virtual Labs tools mean that learners can also check for understanding and get feedback on their online assignments—which instructors are able to edit in line with course objectives.

The second question we will explore is: how virtual labs can enhance learning?

They can work alongside physical labs  

Studies have shown that science students whose learning experiences blended computer simulation with hands-on lab experience were able to understand their subject better. And now the world recovers from the pandemic and some classes are resuming face-to-face, instructors are already using virtual labs as a way to prepare students for their lab time. Setting pre-work in a virtual lab means students can get to grips with what's expected from them and can get up-to-speed with specific knowledge and concepts.

Another benefit is that, on account of there being no time pressures with a virtual lab, no student will fall behind if they don't fully understand an experiment right away. 

We have seen some customers integrate virtual labs into other class elements - like pre-recorded or live lectures - which allows for further benefits.

They provide a safe place to experiment 

It's commonly understood that experiments can go wrong. Safety in the lab is absolutely paramount. With virtual labs, a safe place is afforded learners. Lab simulations encourage students to explore different variables on their own, discover where they need to adjust to reach the desired outcomes, and learn from their mistakes online.  

They empower students outside the classroom 

Virtual labs are able to be accessed 24 hours a day, wherever and whenever it's convenient for learners. This makes it easy to repeat experiments and fully engage with them. The fact that some tools fold in instant feedback gives them support and motivation. Virtual labs are also more accessible for students with impairments or activity limitations; Connect Virtual Labs, for example, features keyboard navigation with a screen reader.  

 All in all, online simulation for science and medical students can be a powerful tool, either as a lab replacement or innovative supplement.   

Our own lab platform, Connect Virtual Labs, was released early at the beginning of May 2020 to support instructors during the global crisis—and is meant to make labs more efficient for instructors and students, as well as help learners retain more critical information. Virtual Labs are now also available on ALEKS, our adaptive learning program. Our platform offers labs for more than 30 scientific and medical subjects, including: 

• How Enzymes Function
• Osmosis
• DNA Biology and Technology
• Mendelian Genetics
• Photosynthesis
• Isolation Methods
• Sampling Ecosystems
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• The Digestive System
• Mendelian Genetics 
   

To see if we cover your course, you can review the whole list here.