2.5 Planning Learning Activities: Remote and Virtual Labs

Remote and Virtual Labs

If you're teaching a lab course in the Fall, you may be wondering how the learning activities are going to work with students participating remotely. Think through the following series of questions to identify flexible approaches to working with concepts and procedures that typically require hands-on activities on campus. 

Remember, whatever alternatives you choose for lab learning activities, make sure they're aligned with the student learning outcomes.

What options are there for redesigning your lab activities?

• Are there small-group elements of the lab experience that students could carry out via Canvas or Zoom?
• Could live Zoom sessions during normal lab meeting time, perhaps with live or pre-recorded demos, be used in place of some of the lab activities? If so, how could active learning be encouraged by students creating hypotheses, recording observations or answering process-related questions during the demo, or analyzing results afterward?
• If analysis and interpretation of data is a major part of the lab experience, could students analyze other experimental or hypothetical data sets?
• Would it be beneficial to change the order of labs for a remote or blended course?
• Are there alternative ways to assess the learning outcomes of the lab? 
• Could students benefit by watching video demos and experiments, supplemented by related problem solving or other formative assessment? For instance, see the JoVE Science Education Library Links to an external site..
• How can student submissions (e.g., lab reports) be modified for digital submission via Canvas?
• Could some field-oriented labs be modified so individual students can do them remotely with everyday materials? Alternatively, could lab fees be repurposed to purchase lab kits that are mailed to your students? For example, see Hands-on Labs Links to an external site..

How can colleagues work together to address the challenges of teaching labs remotely?

• Are there existing lab activities for an Ecampus version of your course that could be re-purposed?
• How could you collaborate with other instructors in your department who teach similar content in other courses?
• How can you work with and support TAs in online lab spaces?

What online content might be available for your course?

• Are virtual labs available online? For example, see MERLOT Links to an external site., a large repository of open resources.
• Are lab simulations available online? For example, see:
  • PHET Interactive Simulations Links to an external site. NANSLO Remote Lab Activities Links to an external site. and LabXchange Links to an external site.
  • Online Resources for Science Labs (POD) Links to an external site. has links to 150-plus simulations, virtual labs, data sets, case studies, and other media
  • University of Central Florida's Virtual and Remote Lab Resources for Science Links to an external site., Engineering and Computer Science Links to an external site., and Health Professions and Sciences Links to an external site.