Virtual and Remote Labs
The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities in Florida to transition to online instruction. Many lectures at Florida International University (FIU), University of Central Florida (UCF) and University of South Florida (USF) transitioned with little disruption. However, select faculty had to move quickly to figure out ways to help students stay on target with lab assignments and projects. Intuitively this makes sense.
When one thinks about a lab, they might picture a student wearing goggles pouring something green and steamy into a beaker. In a lab, an aspiring engineer might be soldering a wire onto a circuit board to create the next supercomputer. FIU, UCF, and USF faculty were not going to allow their labs to be interrupted or diminished in quality. They moved quickly, mobilized, and created ways to deliver high quality labs at scale. Many helped students access online lab kits from groups like Hands-On Labs which lets students complete experiments at home.
However, there were some pedagogical and structural gaps that remained and that is where the Florida Consortium STEM Labs Collective was born. Fifty Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geo/Earth Sciences, Nursing, and Physics faculty from FIU, UCF, and USF began meeting virtually. Dr. Kevin Yee, Assistant Dean, Teaching and Learning at University of South Florida coordinated the meetups. He created the structure through a series of surveys to get a better understanding of faculty needs. He led meetings and created a platform to foster ongoing exchanges where faculty could share best practices, fill curricula gaps, and support each other. Sessions and engagement are recorded via Microsoft Teams and are shared with STEM faculty who could not attend.
Also noteworthy, Dr. Wendy Howard, program director of the Pegasus Innovation Lab developed a database of nationally adopted best practices. Faculty can visit the Virtual and Remote Labs for a seemingly endless repository of resources. In reviewing this resource, one might notice the nomenclature that guides distance learning labs. In fact, there are two types of labs, virtual and remote.
First, with virtual labs experiments are simulate and students can access them online. It’s worth noting that the Florida Consortium explored the power of virtual labs through a partnership with Embodied Labs out of California. During our College to Career Continuum project faculty developed Clay Lab where students could embody Clay, an older patient nearing the end of his life. This lab helped students understand how end of life decisions and conversations impact the health and well-being of a patient and their families.
Alternatively, with remote labs, faculty and staff can access equipment and technology to perform experiments in a lab environment. Remote labs require special supervision to ensure safety and the accuracy of experiments. There are several considerations for conducting a remote lab. The first is access to the equipment required to conduct experiments. The second is recording results accurately. Human resources is another important consideration, as many experiments require team work to be effective. Facilitating a team at a distance during a pandemic is challenging. Finally, the additional costs associated with remote labs. Making sure students have what they need to complete lab projects without additional expenses is an important consideration.
In closing, faculty considered several solutions and shared best practices. The Florida Consortium STEM Labs Collective will continue to meet virtually throughout the summer to build more understanding on how to deliver virtual or remote labs at scale. They are crafting what might become a national model for high quality, high volume lab courses online.
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