Online Science Labs with Hands-on Lab Kits

Concurrent Session 2

Brief Abstract

There are many ways to teach lab science courses online. Why use a hands-on approach with a lab kit? Can it help to make an engaging learning experience for online lab science students? Let’s experiment together.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Shannon McGurk, Carolina Distance Learning

Shannon is the Director of Distance Learning for Carolina Biological Supply Company. She is responsible for all facets of development, product selection and product marketing for all college level science online courses and products. With Master’s degrees in both Biology and Education, Shannon joined Carolina in 2015 with more than 15 years of higher education experience, 10 of which were spent in the online learning community as both an administrator and instructor. Her experience includes curriculum development, instructional design, and compliance and accreditation. She and her team have helped hundreds of colleges and universities adapt their science courses to the online learning environment.

Extended Abstract

There are many ways to teach lab science courses online. Why use a hands-on approach with a lab kit? Research shows that students who only view experiments (rather than engaging in them) perform worse on conceptual knowledge exams than those who participate in physical or virtual labs (Zacharia and Olympiou, 2011). An online or hybrid course with hands-on experiments, created following carefully designed learning outcomes with safety and rigor in mind, make a very engaging learning experience for online lab science students. Let’s experiment together.