How Can Labs Be Delivered Online?

For science and medical students, labs have long been an important part of education and training. Participating in labs engages students, builds strong analytical skills, and above all, gives them the important hands-on practice needed to work in their chosen fields.  
 
With many higher education institutions closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, classes have pivoted online—leaving many instructors having to suddenly question how they’ll deliver labs and assign STEM science projects from home. What is the most effective way to teach labs online? And do online labs really help students to gain meaningful experience? 
 
The answers aren’t as complicated as many instructors might think. In this article, we’ll explore how virtual labs and simulations can be incorporated into classes as a preparation or replacement to physical labs—and better yet, actually enhance student learning.  

How does a virtual lab work? 

In many scientific fields, coursework would be completely theoretical (and often incomplete) without a lab component. After all, labs are a place for students to analyse their predictions, and directly relate what they’ve learned in lectures to real-life situations. Without the ability to meet in person, many instructors have designed both dry and wet labs for learners to complete at home. For wet labs, these incorporate materials students can easily access to carry-out the experiments safely from their kitchens.  
 
However, at-home wet labs might not work in every study area. Imagine asking students to dissect an eye, study kidney tissue, or work with other sensitive samples from their houses? In these cases, virtual labs are an optimal replacement.  
 
The online labs 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.  

With these virtual platforms, students can complete the lab simulations on their own time using the instructions provided on-screen, helping them to learn at their own pace. They can also check for understanding and get feedback on their online assignments—which instructors customise to suit their students’ learning objectives. 
 
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. Our platform offers labs for more than 30 scientific and medical subjects, including: 

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

How can virtual labs enhance learning?

Virtual labs can be used by instructors alongside physical labs, or to replace them altogether. But how do they strengthen learning to help students meet their educational goals? 

They can supplement physical labs  
According to a 2018 study published in Life Sciences Education, biology students whose curriculum combined hands-on laboratory experience with computer simulation had a better conceptual understanding of their studies. Another 2014 study had similar results: young physics students learning about weight and mass did better when working with computer simulation on its own, or combined with hands-on tasks. In short: virtual simulations really do help to boost student learning.  
 
Instructors can certainly leverage virtual labs to replace physical ones. But once in-person classes resume, instructors also have the opportunity to use virtual labs as a tool to prepare students for programmed laboratory visits - helping them to understand what to expect from the lab and save resources - or to re-cap experiments they’ve already tested. This helps instructors ensure students come to labs primed with the knowledge they need ahead of time, and that no student falls behind if they don’t grasp the experiment completed the first time around in a physical environment.  
 
They can integrate virtual labs into other class elements - like pre-recorded or live lectures - to design a full course and provide students with more comprehensive material. To understand how Connect Virtual Labs works for instructors behind-the-scenes, we invite you to check out this video: 

They provide a safe place to experiment 
Every instructor knows that experiments can go wrong—but sometimes, they can go dangerously wrong if students don't take the right safety precautions. On the other hand, virtual labs provide learners with a safe place to carry out their experiments. 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.  
 
Virtual labs also allow instructors to teach material that otherwise would be difficult to carry out in a physical environment, either because of the extended time it might take to complete an experiment, or a lack of lab funding and resources.  

They empower students outside the classroom 
Studying science and medicine is demanding. Students are already stretched thin; many likely have full or part-time jobs, and some might be caretakers or parents. Booking lab time and spending extra hours on campus can put on added stress for everyone—and it can be difficult to retain the skills needed within such a small window.  
 
Virtual labs are available for students to interact with 24/7 and at their own pace, making it easy to repeat experiments and better understand them. Students get instant feedback, which helps them to quickly pivot within the simulation. 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, that’s proven to help students retain the information you teach and keep them alert and engaged.  

If you would like to learn more about how we can support you with this, please click here to contact one of our Academic Learning Consultants.
 

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