The Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI) is a division of the Department of Education in Newfoundland and Labrador, an eastern Canadian province. CDLI’s main mandate is to develop and deliver senior high school programming to students attending schools in rural, remote, and isolated areas of the province. 

Yvonne Dawe, an E-Teacher with CDLI, leverages virtual labs, including Labster simulations, to enrich her chemistry classes, contributing to her earning the "2023 Premier's Award for Teaching Innovation." This award celebrates her use of technology to captivate and educate her students, using project-based learning to prepare them for the challenges of higher education and beyond. 

Labster's virtual simulations supplement and substitute traditional lab experiences, offering students access to sophisticated equipment and techniques often beyond the financial reach of high school budgets. This exposure is critical in equipping students for advanced studies, allowing them to familiarize themselves with apparatus and scenarios they will likely encounter in their future academic and professional journeys.

Key takeaways: 

• Virtual labs help students’ readiness for further education and professional careers
• Integration of Labster alleviates logistical and financial constraints
• The Stoichiometry virtual lab aligns well with the curriculum

Virtual labs used: 

• Calorimetry: Using a bomb calorimeter
• Stoichiometry: Gravimetric
• Titration: Neutralize an acid lake contamination
• Chemistry Safety

Supporting Academic and Real-World Success with Labster

“Labster exposes students to equipment they likely won't see until they go to post-secondary. It also exposes them to real-life situations where what they're learning in class does have practical applications.”

‍Enhancing Classroom Learning with Advanced Scientific Equipment

“To determine the mass of a substance in a high school lab, they might use a balance that reads to one decimal place (0.1 g) or maybe two (0.01 g) if they’re lucky. But they don't normally have a balance that reads to 0.01 mg, and that has a chamber for the sample to prevent the effect of air currents. That's something they would only see at university/post-secondary. Labster activities use this type of advanced laboratory equipment, so it is great exposure for the students.”

‍Relieving Some of the Pressure on Teachers

“In many of these small schools, the teachers have to teach many courses, so finding the time to supervise CDLI science students in a physical lab can be challenging. There’s also a shortage of substitute teachers, so these teachers are sometimes called upon to cover other classes. Since Labster labs are online, they can be completed during regular class time and do not require in-school supervision.” 

‍Facilitating Curriculum Alignment

“The gravimetric stoichiometry virtual lab actually matches up quite well with our curriculum, and we use that one as a replacement for the physical lab.”

‍Fostering Access and Flexibility for Students

“Sometimes students miss the lab, and we can use the virtual Titration lab, for example, as something they can do on their own.”

‍Shaping Future Scientists

“I want my students to be successful and appreciate science in a way that is not daunting. I want them to know we can all do science; it's accessible.”