The largest higher ed system in the US is turning to video game-esque science lab simulators as students isolate IRL - here's how the the programs works

Mary MeisenzahlApr 15, 2020, 19:41 IST

Danish edtech company Labster announced a partnership with California Community Colleges on Tuesday.
Labster will provide more than 2 million students with online lab simulators for biology, chemistry, and physics courses.
Most schools around the US have closed due to the coronavirus and turned to online learning instead, providing a potential opportunity for companies like Labster.
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As schools across the US and world transition to online learning because of COVID-19, the coronavirus disease, some disciplines are an easier fit than others. Lab courses in the sciences rely on in-person experiences and observations to learn about the world.

Denmark-based edtech company Labster just announced a partnership with California Community Colleges to incorporate its online lab simulations in biology, physics, and chemistry classes on Tuesday. CCC claims to be the largest higher ed system in the US, with more than 2.1 million students.

As universities finish the semester and many start summer classes online, some are even considering making the fall 2020 semester online remote learning as well, making a way to substitute for missed live labs more important than ever.

Labster started in 2013, and now has more than 100 online lab simulation courses. Last spring, Labster raised $21 million a Series B funding round, to total $35 million raised. The company has already worked with 500 institutions including MIT, and in 2018 it debuted a fully online biology degree with Arizona State University. Now, according to a press release 60% of world colleges have contacted the company about setting up course integrations for labs.

Here's how the lab simulations work.

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In Labster's lab simulation, students walk into a lab like they would for a physical class.

Different classes have different setups closely mirroring what students would see in the classroom.

Users control the lab almost like a video game...

...for example, using a pipette.

Some labs have diagrams and information that could be communicated over other online learning tools...

...but the most useful simulations seem to be the ones focused on experimentation and actually making choices and conducting tasks in the simulations.

For example, a simulation on the atomic structure in a chemistry class has diagrams and information, plus models that teach about different elements.

Students have access to tools and references within the lab, as they would in a real lab.

Other courses might be best taught online in a simulator, too.

For example, a biosafety class simulator lets students understand the principles of safety before dealing with any actual dangers.

For a cytogenetics class, where students learn about making prenatal diagnoses, seeing live patients isn't necessarily safe or even feasible right now.

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