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How to Strike the Right Balance Between Virtual & Hands-on Labs for Optimal Student Learning
Like any interesting and engaging piece of art, the composition of your lab course matters. How you engage students, the learning activities you select, as well as the tools and support provided will impact the way students experience your course and how they learn.
As student demand for online lab courses continues to grow, more and more programs are working to replicate and create versions of their on-campus lab courses online, with a focus on quality. In fact, three-fourths of the administrators surveyed for the 2024 Annual Lab Report said that demand for fully online as well as blended and hybrid labs has increased, and as a result, have looked to hands-on labs to ensure a quality learning experience.
Traditional, hands-on experiments are widely considered a hallmark of on-campus undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. But as online learning becomes increasingly prominent in STEM fields—nearly 90% of students want to be able to take their science courses online—many instructors still struggle with how to ensure a learning experience comparable to the on-campus experience. In fact, nearly 80% of STEM leaders said recreating a hands-on experience for online labs is a top challenge, making your use of lab modalities critical to student success.
Hands-On Labs For Deeper Student Learning
Scientific literacy is a fundamental competency that improves students’ ability to ask questions and draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand the natural world as well as the changes made to it. Providing students with an opportunity to learn by doing, to test their hypotheses, and to fail remain essential aspects of a traditional lab experience. Without these experiences, it’s difficult to build foundational skills in scientific literacy, let alone progress into advanced studies or even careers in the sciences.
Hands-on labs allow students to physically conduct experiments at home or in their local environment, using lab grade materials that are comparable to what is used in a campus laboratory, and the result is often a much more rigorous learning experience.
More Authentic & Holistic Learning Experience
Mirroring the quality of a campus lab experience as closely as you can by having your students physically conduct experiments will benefit them. In fact, comparative studies suggest that students learn just as much from these labs and in ways similar to those who attend in-person labs (Casanova et al., 2006; Reuter, 2009). Recent studies show that a hands-on component to learning helps students engage better with the material — gaining a deeper understanding of the concepts they are learning.
If that weren’t enough, according to data from the 2024 Annual Lab report, 75% of instructors teaching an online course with hands-on labs said they felt that these labs were comparable to an in-person lab experience, a 12% increase from last year’s report. What’s more, 90% said these labs provided students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply their learning to the real world.
Still, other studies also demonstrate that using hands-on labs proves to be an effective way for instructors to bring the same level of quality and rigor to their online courses. Researchers from the University of Chicago showed that college physics students who participated in hands-on labs performed better. Students were randomly assigned to either a physical action or observation role, similar to a simulation. Overall, the action group earned scores that were about 7 percent higher than the observation group, stressing the importance of instructional practices that physically engage students in the learning process. Further research out of Stephen F Austin State University shows that student participation in hands-on chemistry labs vs computer simulations only improved students’ attitudes and kept students more engaged.
It’s why Dr. Naruki Hiranuma, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at West Texas A&M University uses hands-on labs in his online earth science courses. Students are able to more easily understand man’s impact on the environment and ensure a learning environment that more deeply engages students. For example, in this hands-on Water Quality Lab, students analyze the water quality of 3 samples for PH, phosphates, nitrates, and fecal coliform levels. They then relate that quality to environmental sources of contamination in order to understand the impact of humans and the environment on the quality of our water.
“High-quality lessons and hands-on labs have helped my students learn and process course material better. These labs are academically rigorous and help me provide my students with a seamless online lab experience that is just as effective and authentic as an on-campus lab,” said Dr. Hiranuma.
What’s more, quality doesn’t have to come at the expense of affordability. In data from the 2024 Annual Lab Report, three-fourths of instructors and students both said that the cost of hands-on lab kits was aligned with the value of being able to do them at home. As one student taking an online chemistry lab at Cape Fear Community College said, “While there’s a cost for a hands-on kit, you can’t argue with the value. If you really care about your education and you want a valuable experience, this is completely worth it.”
Virtual Simulations to Reinforce Student Learning
When used as the only lab modality in the course—meaning, in place of hands-on labs—virtual simulations prove ineffective.
Another full-time student commented, “I took an online microbiology course and all of the labs were virtually simulated with no hands-on experiments. It was not very helpful. For my online chemistry class, I have a kit so I can do all the actual experiments at home. I actually find doing hands-on labs just as helpful, if not even more helpful, than in-person class labs.”
That said, virtual simulations can prove to be an effective tool for supplementing student learning. In fact, 84% of students say that virtual simulations are a helpful resource for practicing and reinforcing key skills. As one full-time biology student shared as part of the Annual Lab Report, “Virtual simulations help me learn due to less fear of critical errors, and I can repeat experiments until I get it, which helps me learn better.”
That said, the most effective approach for instructors is to compose their course with a strategic mix of hands-on and virtual simulations.
When to Use Virtual Simulations
Observe the Unobservable: Virtual simulations allow students to ‘conduct’ experiments on phenomena that would normally be unobservable or unsafe to observe. Simulations can portray abstract objects, such as light rays, that students cannot see in a physical lab. Representation of abstract objects helps students understand the lab’s content better, especially important for more complex abstract topics.
Climate change and evolution, for example, can be simulated using an online lab but would be difficult to teach physically. Many chemical reactions might also be unsafe to conduct in-person but could be easily simulated, so students can see the reactions and impact of those reactions in a potentially real-world scenario. As a result, virtual simulations have been shown to increase students’ conceptual understanding of certain topics (Kollöffel & de Jong, 2013).
Balance Costs: With virtual simulations, there is no need for equipment or materials. Students aren’t paying for the shipping costs or materials required for hands-on lab kits. That said, depending on the kind of simulations you want to provide, costs can start to add up. From virtual reality technology to high-fidelity simulators and digital modeling applications like Sketchfab, virtual tools can start to get pricey.
Practice, Repeat & Prepare for On-Campus Labs: Finally, virtual simulations provide a low stakes environment in which students can run a digital experiment as many times as needed to get the desired result. With each experiment, students can manipulate variables, run the experiment, and immediately see the results. With each run, students engage more deeply with the concept, which is helpful for struggling students or those who need to repeat activities for a deeper understanding. Similarly, using virtual pre-labs in preparation for on-campus labs can also be beneficial, allowing students to practice repeatedly before entering a physical lab.
So while there are a variety of scenarios that make sense for using virtual simulations, they don’t provide a holistic and compelling learning experience when used as the only lab modality. What’s more, they aren’t comparable to the experience of conducting physical labs, which has important implications when it comes to student performance and achievement.
The Right Balance of Virtual & Hands-on for Greater Student Success
Herein lies the art.
Knowing when to choose hands-on labs or virtual simulations is the key to creating a high quality learning experience. There are some important steps to think through when deciding on your mix. Keep in mind what students will gain from the lab, how students will complete the lab successfully, and what technology tools might be useful in implementing either virtual or hands-on labs.
In fact, instructors surveyed in the 2024 Annual Lab Report weighed in to share some advice and tips for setting up your students for success, including use of lab modalities and other resources for support.
“Use several modalities for each lab, including virtual simulations, interactive exercises, and discussion assignments to integrate what students learn with real-world applications.” -Biology faculty
“Provide material to students one week in advance and maintain open communication while setting high expectations. Upload short audio and video recordings for each chapter to explain concepts. Clarity is key in your interactions with online students.” -Anatomy & Physiology faculty
“I use pre-lab videos and weekly LMS video announcements to connect learning with objectives and assignments.” -Chemistry faculty
As you begin to think through your use of lab modalities, keep these considerations top of mind.
Learning Outcomes & Objectives: Reflect on the learning objectives for your course and how the lab supports those. Questions you might ask include:
- Why are students completing this lab activity?
- What do I hope students will gain from this activity?
- What should students understand or know how to do once they’ve completed the activity?
If you want students to learn the physical skills necessary to run this experiment AND/OR how to design experiments and think through the scientific process, consider a hands-on lab.
If you want students to learn the conceptual ideas behind the experiment, both hands-on and virtual simulations are options. A virtual simulation will strip away the distractions of setting up the experiment, which might be helpful if the concept is more important than the physical activity. Students can spend the entire lab focusing on making predictions, observing patterns, and interpreting the results to better understand the lab’s core concepts.
Consider transfer-ability requirements. Incorporating a hands-on component helps ensure students can use your course for transfer credit. Be cautious with relying solely on virtual simulations in your courses because while they can improve student engagement and reinforce key concepts, they won’t provide a hands-on experience, and as a result, courses often don’t meet transfer-ability requirements.
That said, some labs are better for simulation. In addition to identifying learning outcomes and topics when deciding which lessons to make hands-on vs. virtual-only, take heed of the following:
Equipment and/or safety concerns: If the size, cost, and safety concerns associated with certain equipment or materials are too high, consider a virtual simulation.
Accessibility: Both hands-on and virtual simulations have accessibility issues. If physical, ethical or religious concerns might be present, consider keeping labs as accessible as possible by presenting a simulation as an alternative for all hands-on experiments.
Additional Topics: If you want to cover an interesting or different topic outside of your core curriculum or that does not directly align to your course objectives, consider introducing it through a virtual simulation.
Course Effectiveness Depends on Lab Modality Choice
Still, there are some unique challenges with delivering labs online, including ensuring student preparedness, quality, and rigor as well as recreating hands-on lab work—a unique consideration many other disciplines don’t face. Despite these challenges, many institutions have been able to deliver online labs successfully, using proven strategies that both expand access to their programs and ensure students receive the same quality education they would on campus.
For example, applying a strategic mix of hands-on labs paired with virtual simulations can improve the effectiveness of your course. Consider having students walk through a lab on a computer as a way to prepare for a hands-on lab either as part of your online course or as part of your in-person lab. Identifying lessons that can be done virtually and others that can provide hands-on experience will keep course costs reasonable, as well as ensure practicality and content accessibility.
But, be sure to prioritize giving students a hands-on experience. Consider options based on effectiveness and quality. Identify options, like ready-made lab kits, that can meet instructor and student needs and be easily tailored to the course. Find partners who have experience implementing hands-on labs and can support you throughout the process. With hands-on labs, your students will be able to more easily connect course concepts to the real world and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts you’re teaching.
In the end, the most effective courses use a blend of virtual simulations and hands-on labs, wherein virtual simulations supplement hands-on labs, supported by a variety of tools, resources, and learning activities in order to deliver an engaging and meaningful experience on campus, at home, and anywhere in between—now, that’s truly an art.