Client Stories

Something I've heard from students over and over again is that lectures don't completely correlate with labs. Now, students can go directly to their OpenStax textbook right from the Science Interactive lab platform, review it over and over again, bridging that gap between skills in the lab and the lecture environment.

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.

For over six years, Science Interactive has collaborated with our subject matter experts to provide lab kits for online science courses at the University of New England. These kits have allowed students a hands-on lab experience regardless of their location around the globe. This comprehensive lab solution has provided quality products that enrich our courses and contribute considerably to our student experience and success.

I have enjoyed using Science Interactive (formerly Hands-On Labs) for my Micro lab. The online modules make my teaching and grading seamless and it looks great from the student view. The personnel are very responsive to me or students when we needed help with an issue.

When I was first approached to teach distance learning, I was very skeptical about how students could gain practical skills in an online environment... When I first came across the Science Interactive lab solution, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and rigor of the experiments. They not only covered the topics that I normally cover, but in some cases go in much more depth than I expected. I have looked at other companies and I believe that Science Interactive is the best. They provide a college-level experience that is expected for a student taking a chemistry lab course.