Keep Students Engaged through Covid with Virtual Labs

Virtual Labs are helping educators prevent students from falling behind during the pandemic

The learning loss students accumulated over the pandemic has proven that even great teachers can't engage students with virtual meetings and videos alone. Preventing students from falling behind or losing interest during covid has been an uphill battle, but it’s also led educators worldwide to rethink the opportunities of teaching in a hybrid, digital learning environment.

In an age of video conference burnout, interactive virtual labs have emerged as a powerful tool for providing interactive, hands-on experiences in remote settings. Today, science simulations are finding broad adoption in universities and high schools as a potent resource to combat fatigue and inspire students.

Traditional learning resources are falling short in remote environments

Videos, textbooks and worksheets can only go so far, but the truth is that students are dropping out of science courses at historic rates under the stresses of pandemic isolation. Experiential learning is not only critical to meeting a more diverse range of visual and practical learning styles, but also to bringing science to life, and igniting a passion in students that will fuel their motivation through the rigors of education. 

Virtual Labs are an interactive solution to combat isolation and burnout

Virtual Labs (also called Science Simulations) are immersive visual experiences that enable students to experiment and practice lab techniques in a virtual environment. Students are presented with scenarios, given choices, and guided through narratives that teach science theory and skill. 

A digital revolution is taking hold in universities and high schools

The impact of the pandemic has been so profound, that it has spawned a global shift towards Hybrid Learning models that combine remote and in-person pedagogy. This has accelerated the adoption of virtual labs, both at the levels of high school and higher education.

“The students get engaged by doing it. And that’s very important because if they get bored, then you don’t go far away as a teacher," remarks Rodolfo Negri, a Bioinformatics professor from the Sapienza University of Rome.

Melody McGill, a Curriculum Coordinator who has deployed virtual labs to 7 high schools in Modesto, California, is seeing that the impact supports both educators and students. “Labster gives teachers that opportunity to breathe and get excited again about being back in the classroom… because they're seeing the kids light up.”

About Labster: Labster offers interactive, 3D virtual science labs that bring science to life. Labster helps students visualize theory, access state-of-the-art lab environments, and take their learning beyond the classroom, from the quantum realm to the surface of Mars. Expand your curriculum, target learning needs, and foster content mastery to prepare the next generation of scientists.