From F2F to Online: A STEM Leader’s Guide to Creating Online Versions of your On-campus Labs

1. Student demand for online and hybrid science labs is now a defining enrollment driver.
   Nearly 90% of students say online options matter, and one in three will enroll elsewhere if they’re not available. Online labs are no longer optional for institutions seeking growth.
2. Online science labs expand enrollment capacity without requiring new facilities.
   Programs can scale high-demand STEM courses while maintaining rigor through hands-on kits and virtual simulations.
3. Building the case internally requires data, transparency, and early faculty involvement.
   Leaders must acknowledge concerns, share success stories, and use enrollment metrics to demonstrate institutional benefit.
4. A phased approach to course selection reduces risk and builds momentum.
   Starting with a strategic approach allows institutions to refine processes before expanding to full programs.
5. Faculty support directly determines online student success.
   Mentorship models, clearly defined expectations, professional development, and instructional design resources are essential for consistency and morale.
6. Infrastructure and technology must be aligned from the start.
   A fully accessible lab management platform, seamless LMS integration, and reliable simulation tools form the backbone of any sustainable online STEM program.
7. Transparent communication strengthens trust and accelerates adoption.
   Regular updates, shared planning, and prompt responses to concerns create alignment between administration and faculty.
8. Ongoing assessment ensures programs stay high-quality, compliant, and scalable.
   Leaders should measure faculty readiness, track student performance, refine assessments, and review alignment with accreditation and institutional standards.
9. Successful programs are collaborative, never “set it and forget it.”
   Long-term viability depends on cross-department planning, continuous monitoring, and a commitment to improving access and outcomes for students.

The consensus is clear. To stay competitive, steadily increase enrollment, and expand access to important STEM disciplines, programs need to get serious about transitioning and offering more lab courses online. But how serious?

Of nearly 2,000 students surveyed, an overwhelming majority said it was important and necessary for them to take the course online, while 30% said they would enroll elsewhere if their lab wasn’t offered online, underscoring how flexibility now drives enrollment decisions.

Whether you’re a department chair, dean, director of online learning or other academic administrator, creating online versions of on-campus courses and programs can seem daunting, from enabling students to do hands-on work to time management and the inability to course correct students in real time. If you know that online science labs are the way to expand access and improve enrollment, but worry you and your instructors may not be ready for the transition, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this guide, we focus on the areas that matter most when it comes to a smooth transition and sustainable online STEM programs.

Still on the fence about offering online lab courses? The numbers aren’t subtle anymore.

According to original research from the Annual Lab Report, based on surveys of hundreds of higher-ed science faculty and academic leaders, the shift is already well underway:

→ More than half of institutions are seeing declining enrollment in on-campus labs, while nearly three-quarters report continued growth in online lab offerings, driven especially by rising demand for hybrid and blended models.

→ From the student side, the message is even louder: Nearly 90% say it’s important for them to be able to take science courses online, and nearly one-in-three (32%) report they would choose another institution if online options weren’t available.

And this isn’t theory anymore; it’s strategy in action.

The story is simple: students expect online labs, competitors are scaling fast, and institutions that wait too long risk watching enrollment walk out the door.

Now is the time to start building your case for online lab courses. While some faculty may resist the shift to online science labs or be skeptical of their effectiveness, their buy-in is non-negotiable if you want your students to have a rigorous, high-quality learning experience. It’s up to you to show them the value.

Here are some resources with key metrics and data to help you show instructors that offering lab courses online can help boost enrollment and access—and that not doing it could be a big mistake!

Neglecting this area has serious ripple effects. The amount & quality of support instructors have directly impacts students’ success. Without the appropriate funding, manpower, resources, professional development, and support, your instructors won’t be able to deliver the quality learning experience your institution is known for.

To fully support a digital learning environment for instructors, students, and your program, infrastructure and technology are imperative for a productive learning environment.

Be sure to collaborate closely with your institutional/program IT as well as office of digital learning/distance education to ensure you have the digital learning tools and infrastructure set up to support online lab courses.

Consider the following technology considerations and work with IT to ensure you have the technology you need.

Just as instructors are expected to establish clear and regular communication with online students, your communication with instructors remains just as important. It creates a level of transparency and trust with instructors, and can serve as a model for their own communication with students—that’s a win-win! 

• Sharing information openly: Providing faculty with access to relevant information regarding school policies, budget updates, and strategic plans.
• Active listening: Actively listening to faculty concerns, feedback, and suggestions.
• Regular communication channels: Establishing consistent communication channels like meetings, email updates, and surveys.
• Providing/Receiving feedback: Offering constructive feedback to faculty on their performance and initiatives and being open to / inviting the same in return.
• Addressing concerns promptly: Responding to faculty concerns in a timely and transparent manner.

• Keep instructors informed with regular updates about institutional/programmatic plans, timelines, and available resources for the transition.
• Collaborate with marketing and student services to clearly outline and promote online course and lab formats, and come up with ways to promote offerings so students know about them.
• Respond to faculty feedback, concerns, and input quickly and follow up as needed. Schedule regular check-ins with faculty groups as needed.

You’ve got courses selected. You’ve got technology and support in place. You’ve got instructors lined up. It’s time to go live!

But wait, the work is not done … Once your online science courses and labs launch, be sure to continually monitor and assess progress.

To determine if an instructor is ready to teach online, monitor the following indicators:

Committing to course and program quality is critical to the success of any online program. 
Courses should have specific learning outcomes and goals that directly support the outcomes of the program, following the institution’s uniform standards for course quality in order to encourage a culture of academic rigor online.

Consider the following areas and engage your office of online/digital learning to continually assess your online courses against key outcomes.

• Create a unified program map and sequence for all course offerings that aligns program- and course-level outcomes.
• Regularly involve faculty leaders and other instructors in the development of online curriculum.
• Verify that courses and labs meet accreditation and compliance standards by coordinating with academic affairs.
• Empower faculty to deliver high-quality online courses through adequate support and infrastructure.
• Determine and address all programmatic requirements and expectations prior to online course development.
• Create and enforce program standards for all online offerings during course design and facilitation.
• Promote transparent communication across departments to ensure alignment and secure buy in.
• Adapt academic integrity policies for online learning and discuss them with faculty members and students frequently.
• Ensure a scalable and sustainable model for future online and hybrid programs.

• Context-Specific Adaptation: Adjust as needed based on the course level, subject matter, and student population.
• Student Feedback: Incorporate student surveys and feedback to inform course evaluation.
• Peer Review: Consider peer review processes, including other departments/programs that have found success online, to provide additional feedback on course quality.

But it’s worth it, especially when the result is something like this:

Teaching AND learning online is hard enough—and your discipline faces additional obstacles others don’t, which means the technology, tools, lab modalities, and support your program employs is critical for success. It also can’t happen with administrators and instructors collaborating and supporting one another throughout the process.

Together, you can deliver engaging online science labs that will expand the reach of your program and boost enrollment numbers, while providing students with a meaningful and authentic lab experience from wherever they choose to learn.

Science Interactive empowers its campus partners to deliver authentic lab experiences for every student through hands-on labs and world-class virtual simulations that provide students with the knowledge and skills they need—no matter how far they are from campus. Our integrated lab solution combines customizable kits, a rigorous digital curriculum, and cutting-edge technology that makes it easier to create and deliver a hands-on lab experience for students in online courses. Over 800 institutions nationwide partner with Science Interactive to expand their online science programs, increase student engagement, and improve success rates.

To learn more, visit www.scienceinteractive.com.