Lab courses may require specialized material, equipment, software, and hardware that is not accessible in a remote teaching situation. While not all that is offered by a psychical lab setting is available remotely, there are ways to maximize remote teaching options to capture essential elements of a lab.
Here are some tips and resources to help you think about how to proceed with remote lab classes:
- Prepare elements of the lab that can be taught asynchronously or through video-conferencing software like Zoom (see Conducting Courses Remotely). Examples include:
- Lab techniques - explore the option of recording videos to demonstrate lab techniques to your students.
- Pre-lab and post-lab work and discussions, which can be set up through online forums or delivered through Zoom. Plan for physical lab work when students can meet in the lab.
- Analysis of data - when the focus of the lab is to analyze data, consider providing raw data to your students that they can analyze as opposed to having them collect the data in a lab setting.
- Ensure students have access to resources, technology, and software required to complete lab-work asynchronously.
- Investigate the possibility of using virtual lab options for some lab activities. Although they may not be optimal, these can be adequate for accomplishing some learning goals:
- Free
- BioInteractive
Contains data-rich activities and case studies to connect students to ideas in biology.
- ChemCollective: Virtual Labs (NSF, Carnegie Mellon, and NSDL)
Free lab simulations for Stoichiometry, Thermochemistry, Equilibrium, Acid-Base Chemistry, Solubility, Oxidation, Oxidation/Reduction and Electrochemistry, and Analytical Chemistry/Lab Techniques.
- MERLOT Simulation Collection (California State University)
An online collection of Open Educational Resources. MERLOT offers a wide selection of simulations that are open to use for teaching.
- #OnlineLabSci
A collection of online science lessons covering projectile motion, laboratory safety, circuit exploration, and gravity & energy.
- PhET Interactive Simulations (University of Colorado - Boulder)
A free collection of simulations and teaching activities for Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Math, and Physics.
- Fee-Based
- eScienceLabs (fee-based)
Enables the creation of a remote lab setting through lab kits and virtual teaching tools for over 19 subjects areas including Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences.
- Hands-On Lab (fee-based)
A service that works with faculty members to create customizable lab kits for students to conduct lab activities from home.
- SimBio (fee-based)
Offers several online lab modules in different subject areas, such as Biology, Cell Biology, and Environmental Science.
- Please note: Some virtual labs require the downloading of software to your and your students' computers. For assistance, please contact coursesupport@davidson.edu.
