Hands-On Experiments for Online Science Courses

Before it became Science Interactive, I had been working with the folks at Hands on Labs since 2007 and I know that the success of our online laboratory-based science courses is due to this partnership. I serve on their Board of Advisers, and I help to support and extend their success to other institutions of higher learning.

Science Interactive combines the best of Hands-On Labs, eScience and virtual science programs to deliver the most sophisticated lab experience in today’s world.

At what is considered a pioneer institution of higher learning, Science Interactive labs have been the difference between rural students earning a degree or not, while remaining at their homes and working full time. For many years, we were the only institution in our state (and that includes the Universities) who offered a virtual lab, so our enrollment was enhanced because of Science Interactive. Once students settle into the routine of trusting that they can complete a lab, have the support they need, and that they learn from it, they have really enjoyed learning the content at their own pace.

I have been using Science Interactive for many years, even before the name change. What hasn’t changed is the great customer service. My rep is only a phone call or email away and always responds promptly. My students have reported being able to contact customer support easily. Their labs kits have allowed our institution to offer online courses without sacrificing the hands-on learning that occurs in the lab. There are a wide variety of kits available, including custom kits. The use of custom kits has allowed us to create kits that align with our competencies. I wouldn’t use any other company!

As Covid-19 began, our Dean challenged us to deliver, a master course that matched what we were doing in the classroom face-to-face. Our goal was to have a hands-on activity for each of the 16 weeks of the term. This was impossible if students did not have the kits in their hands by day one. Thanks to Science Interactive, we were able to provide at-home kits to meet our goals, well in advance of the first day of the term, which helped minimize student issues. We also had the flexibility to supplement the need for tactile kits every week with digital lessons to help reduced the cost to the student substantially. Thank you again for all that you do. I look forward to working with Science Interactive in the future.

Science Interactive has given our online students the hands-on experience that is needed in a chemistry laboratory. Students comment on how much they really enjoy the lab component of these courses and how much the lab experiments enhance what they are learning in our chemistry courses.

I have been working with Science Interactive since 2006 – they have always been professional and responsive to the needs of my institution as well as my students. The quality of the lab kits that we employ is par none, and Science Interactive is very flexible when it comes to customizing these kits to align with the pedagogy of our classes.

Science Interactive provides the opportunity to offer our students the hands-on experience of science labs from the convenience of their homes. Their labs kits do a great job of providing students with a realistic environment that teaches critical skills required to learn various laboratory concepts and replicating the same learning experience they would have at a campus lab. The entire platform is user friends and students enjoy their experience using the kits and the educational online content. Both higher education online programs and online science students can benefit greatly from the integration of at-home lab kits into the curriculum.