Part 2: Commercial Virtual Labs
By Jessica Parr, Associate Professor (Teaching) of Chemistry – April 7, 2021
Part 2 of a four-part blog series.
When the pandemic required us to swiftly move all classes to an online format, many of us were able to adapt our lecture and discussion sections reasonably well, but the hands-on activities were more challenging to modify. With six weeks remaining in the semester there was a good chunk of physical labs that students needed to perform. Over spring break the lab directors of our department – along with some dedicated TAs – recorded videos and took pictures of the experiments that students would have performed. We cobbled together what we could. As it became increasingly clear that instruction would be fully online for an extended period of time, lab instructors across the university began exploring options that would help students replicate the laboratory experience in a virtual environment. In a four part series I will talk about the alternatives that we considered. Second verse: commercially available virtual labs programs. There were two commercial programs that were explored.
Labster
The first commercial virtual lab we used was Labster, which was designed by biologists and offers students a multi-million dollar lab experience from the comfort of their homes. When students first “enter” the environment they have to put one their personal protective equipment which they can get from a locker before entering the actual lab space. This replicates what they would have done in a regular face to face laboratory on campus. This realism makes this program very attractive. These small details help students and faculty take the assignments more seriously. This also reflects the high production value of the virtual laboratory space.
Once in the lab, the space is very clean. Students have to interact with the program, such as mixing things together, using instruments, and collecting the appropriate data for the assigned lab session. Every item that needs to be interacted with is laid out on the bench for the students to see. The pad in the lower right hand corner will pop up occasionally with questions that the students need to answer to make progress.
Labster can be fully integrated into Blackboard, so students can access it through their course page and their scores are automatically recorded. These features make it a very convenient program for instructors and students. However, this program is not very flexible. If the students do not select the correct answer, or perform the next step in the procedure correctly, they cannot move forward. This means that students are not able to make mistakes, but also removes some of the autonomy that they would have in a normal laboratory experience. Faculty can ask additional questions in a separate assignment based on the performed experiment, but instructors cannot change what the students are doing while interacting with the program.
Beyond Labz
Looking for a more realistic laboratory experience and a safe space for students to make mistakes, the laboratory instructors in the Chemistry department found the Beyond Labz program. Developed by Dr. Brian Woodfield from BYU, Beyond Labz provides students with a laboratory space where they select their own equipment and chemicals and run their own experiments. The laboratory spaces are much closer to what students will experience once they are able to be in physical labs come fall of 2021 (hopefully). In fact, since we redesigned and renovated our instructional labs a few years ago, students will be pleasantly surprised by the modern spaces at USC.
Beyond Labz offers much more flexibility to the instructor and to the students. We can write our own instructions for students to most closely replicate the experiments they would have been performing in a live, in-person laboratory experiment. Students can play with other reagents, equipment, and procedures. Students can make mistakes. If a certain combination does not work, it will not work; and it may even explode! Students have to do a little more problem solving on their own, but higher-level thinking skills are activated. Beyond Labz does not provide the same level of feedback that students receive from Labster, so they need a little more support.
Integration
In the Chemistry department we have decided to use Labster and Beyond Labz for some of the labs this semester. Labster is utilized for either prelab or postlab activities, while Beyond Labz is used during the scheduled synchronous lab time where a teaching assistant is available for support. We are also taking advantage of a few free simulation programs that are available such as PhET and ChemCollective. There is a bit of a learning curve for each of these programs and simulations, but we provide students with instructions that are as explicit as possible to help them become comfortable and succeed. One advantage to having to try these programs and adapt their use for students has been the desire to innovate our pre- and post-lab experiences when we return to in-person instruction. The virtual labs are a nice alternative to have students safely engage in scientific experiments.