What is a virtual laboratory?

Stahre Wästberg et al. define a virtual laboratory as

“an interactive environment in which simulated experiments can be carried out” (2059, 2019).

However, the reality is that what constitutes a virtual lab is incredibly varied. All the types of virtual lab are summarised below. These are all driven by the learning outcomes of the sciences (specifically virtual ways to demonstrate specific techniques or experiments, or virtual ways to generate/simulate experimental data) but may have insights for the delivery of some teaching in the Humanities, both in the traditional lab context, or beyond in computer labs or other demonstration/practical based teaching.

If this is not relevant to you, feel free to skip forward to the final part of this training course.

Types of Virtual Laboratory

The Faculty of Science and Engineering have a helpful website full of resources, and in addition we summarise here some specific resources.

1. Asynchronous demonstration videos (or other online material)

These demonstrate specific laboratory techniques or experiments and include

• FSE's list of online laboratory resources
• The OU's Open Science Laboratory
• JOVE science education library

2. Immersive lab recording using Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality technology

This employs VR and 360 3D capture technology to create immersive asynchronous demonstration videos. In AR these can also be annotated.

3. Real laboratories accessed via the internet

In these examples experiments are performed in a real lab by equipment that can be operated remotely by learners. For example:

• MIT’s iLabs
• The Open University’s electrical engineering, as explained in the video below

Because this video is not owned by us, we can not provide a transcript of the text, but you can click on the "closed captions" button on the bottom right of the screen when the video is playing in full screen mode.

4. Flipped labs

i.e. large data sets which students can download or access online and then analyse and design experiments around. Examples can be found on the FSE website.

5. Online Simulations

Online simulations of laboratory experiments in a virtual lab – effectively a gamified online lab. Examples include:

• Labster (there is an interesting article about this in Nature)
• Praxilabs

6. Data Simulations

Online simulations of real world data sets and software, so that students undertake an online virtual practical by modelling and interrogating the data as they would in a lab. For example, PhET. Also see examples on the FSE online lab resources website.

7. Live stream experiments

A practitioner carries out the experiment live in the lab, students interact via videoconferencing technology to change parameters or ask questions as it takes place.

8. Mixture of live stream and flipped labs

A researcher films themselves doing the experiment in real life (live stream or asynchronous) and then they provide the data set for students to analyse remotely

Hernández-de-Menéndez, M., Vallejo Guevara, A. & Morales-Menendez, R. 2019. Virtual reality laboratories: a review of experiences. Int J Interact Des Manuf 13, 947–966 (2019).

Stahre Wästberg, B., Eriksson, T., Karlsson, G. et al. 2019. Design considerations for virtual laboratories: A comparative study of two virtual laboratories for learning about gas solubility and colour appearance. Educ Inf Technol 24, 2059–2080 (2019).