Enrich hands-on lab experiences with virtual simulations
Explore how you can improve student engagement and success with Science Interactive’s virtual simulations.
digital Lessons
Virtual simulations aren't a replacement for the rich learning of hands-on labs.
But virtual simulations can help students maximize their learning in combination with hands-on labs, and grasp scientific concepts and phenomena that they can’t observe in the real world.
Help students observe what they can't in hands-on labs.
From phenomena such as climate change, evolution, and the long-term impact of chemicals on the environment, to grasping abstract concepts such as light rays and radio waves.
Virtual simulations give your students multiple opportunities to engage with concepts that are critical for their learning – but impossible to replicate in hands-on labs.
Help students get the most out of every hands-on lab.
Virtual pre-labs can help students grasp basic lab techniques and safety procedures in a safe, low-stakes environment.
Giving them plenty of time to prepare at their own pace for hands-on labs. So that they gain the confidence they need for their hands-on labs – and can get the most out of every lab course.
"I really enjoyed having both the virtual labs and being able to practice with my at-home-kit. These opportunities give me the full school experience but being able to do it at home, on my time. I wish all science courses offered this."
“The online labs gave us a chance to do experiments over and over again, until they were clearly understood. That was a great advantage.”
Enrich real-world learning with virtual-pre-labs and virtual simulations
Let students prepare ahead of time, in their own time.
With virtual pre-labs, students can:
- Conduct trial experiments freely in a low-stakes environment, with no risk to themselves, others, or expensive lab equipment.
- Learn theory, lab procedures, and safety protocols – and gain confidence in applying them.
- Run virtual experiments as many times as they need, increasing their engagement and deepening their understanding of their learning.
- Maximize the productivity and impact of every hands-on or on-campus lab as they’ll be well-prepared ahead of time.
Make learning science engaging and accessible for everyone
With virtual simulations you can:
- Help students grasp what they can’t observe in the lab: from abstract concepts such as light rays and radio waves, to phenomena such as evolution and climate change.
- Let students practice what they’ve learned, in their own time, in a low-stakes environment
- Make science courses easily accessible to those with different learning styles – and for those who can’t come to campus.
- Reduce the need to purchase or rent expensive scientific equipment and materials for a single lab.
Virtual Labs vs Hands-on Labs
Virtual labs vs. hands-on labs: What's right for your online science course?
Explore the differences between virtual and hands-on labs, the benefits of each approach, and how to figure out the best combination of the two for your course.
What Students & Instructors Say
According to 1600+ surveyed or our 2023 Lab Report: The State of Online Science labs
"I highly recommend that my chemistry course add virtual simulations because, as an online student, it would prepare me and my other students for the on-campus lab and make us more familiar with lab safety in reality, how to use equipment and instruments, and avoid chemical hazards."
Student response
"Science Interactive gives me the opportunity to give my online students the same type of hands-on experience that a typical student that's coming to the campus would have. This gives them the hands-on experience they need to ensure their credits are transferable while providing them with the flexibility to do the labs from their own home."
Lauren Kerrigan, Chemistry Instructor,
Bucks County CC
"I really enjoyed taking the course online rather than in person. Science is hard! I do better to learn at my own pace, and re-read things that I didn't understand before going to the next topic."
Student response
"The virtual lab for chemistry was a huge help in getting my work accomplished. I didn't have to worry about cleaning up a mess or being afraid of working with different chemicals and doing something wrong. The virtual lab made it safe to conduct my experiments, and when I did make a mistake, it was easy to start over."
Deliver authentic lab experiences to all students – anytime, anywhere.
Choose from hundreds of lessons and experiments across 14 scientific disciplines
What others have to say:
Rachel thought the labs would take much longer than they did. With guidance from her instructor and instructions that took her step by step, Rachel found the process of conducting labs on her own easier than expected. “Each step explained in detail what to do, and I was able to see how it applied to the lecture and concepts we were learning. The videos and images helped to see if I was doing things right. And in the end, it was a great opportunity to apply what we were learning to real-world scenarios.
I learn in a very visual way, and I wouldn’t not have done as well as I did in this course if we didn’t do hands-on labs. I read the chapters, took the notes, and then when I did the experiments, it reinforced what I had read. For example, for one of the labs, I was able to put my hands on the muscles we were studying to really feel and scope them out. I wouldn’t have been able to do that in just the virtual simulation, so I think people would miss out a lot if they didn’t have the hands-on part. The simulation isn’t that much different from the textbook; the hands-on takes it to a whole other level.
Janette was amazed by the quality of the hands-on kit she received. “I was excited to open my kit. I couldn’t wait to get it. When they said I was getting a skeleton…it was so cool to open it up. I couldn’t wait to dig in and see everything that was in there. The sheep heart – that was awesome! I’ve never seen something like that in person before, and I couldn’t wait to dissect that!
When I received the hands-on chemistry kit, I was impressed. I didn’t think it was going to be that thorough. To see actual chemicals and real experiments! There was a ton more in there than expected there would be. I’m also someone that likes to work independently and go at my own pace. For me, that means watching lectures quickly but then re-watching sections where I need more clarification.
My 2-, 5-, and 10-year old were enthralled with the labs, particularly the dissection labs. They watched over my shoulder meticulously, as I cut the pig heart. I moved through each lab, showing them the tools and narrating each step, which also helped me. We loved examining the skeleton together, and using the virtual scope was convenient. I felt like I got the same experience as using a real microscope without having to have all the slides and specimens everywhere. From the blood typing to the ice water experiments, the hands-on component helped me understand the concepts much better, and it was fun to involve my kids in this learning experience.
When I opened the hands-on kit, I was mind blown, especially when I took out the skeleton. I wasn’t expecting it to be so large — my kids absolutely loved it! I have always been more of a hands-on learner vs someone who can just read and learn. I absorb things better if I’m doing it as I am trying to learn it.
I don’t do well just sitting there reading a textbook. Yes, I read everything, but while I was taking in the information, I didn’t have anything to apply or connect it to. But when I could manipulate the things and physically see it during the labs, that was the biggest game changer for me. If people can’t get to an on-campus lab, you still want them to get that deeper understanding of exactly what’s taking place — the science behind it all. Using hands-on labs gives you that face-to-face experience to see how things actually work.
Some of the biggest benefits of having access to Science Interactive in my online lab were that we didn't have to have huge textbooks, and we could learn at our own pace. Everything we needed for the course was centralized and so clearly presented that it made learning much more fun and enjoyable.
