Are Remote Labs Worth the Cost? Insights From a Study of Student Perceptions of Remote Labs

Abstract

Remote online laboratories enable students to conduct scientific investigations using real experimental equipment. However, scaling up remote labs may require significant costs in purchasing and maintaining expensive equipment compared to scaling simulated labs. While these costs are a consequence of using physical equipment, we argue that there are unique educational advantages to remote labs. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study of student perceptions of a remote lab in comparison to an identical lab experience with simulated data. The findings reveal several intriguing themes that highlight the pedagogical value of remote laboratories. In addition, we provide recommendations for the design and pedagogy of online laboratory experiences based on our findings

Sparking Innovation in STEM Education with Technology and Collaboration

“…Online laboratories, whether remote or virtual, are another promising innovation to enhance the teaching and learning of STEM at all levels of education. Virtual online laboratories allow students to simulate scientific experiments while remote ones allow students to use real laboratory equipment from a distance through the Internet (Jona et al, 2011;Tasiopoulou and Schwarzenbacher, 2011).…”

“…Online laboratories may help bridge the digital divide by providing students with faster access to experimental learning at a relatively low cost (Burd, Seazzu and Conway, 2009;Flint and Stewart, 2010;Nedungadi and Raman, 2011;Jara et al, 2011;Ku, Ahfock, and Yusaf, 2011). Simulations may be less expensive than experimental hardware, although "little empirical data exists on the actual costs of providing online laboratory access at scale" (Jona et al, 2011).…”

A Remote Radioactivity Experiment

“…The iLab Network, [3][4] a project based at the Office for STEM Education Partnerships at Northwestern University that seeks to put remote labs and appropriate curricula online for high school science courses, features a remote radioactivity lab housed and run at the University of Queensland in Australia. What is remarkable, however, is that using the Internet, in a matter of about 10 minutes, a high school teacher or student can set experimental parameters for a number of different distances between a strontium-90 source and Geiger counter, the number of trials at each distance, and the time for collecting counts for each trial (see Fig.…”

Hybrid Online Labs: Making Remote Laboratories Usable Under Unfavorable Bandwidth Conditions

“…Indeed, use of a simulation provides its own set of unique advantages [8]. Nevertheless, there is evidence that many instructors would take a well-designed remote laboratory (if such is available) over a simulation.There are justifications for this preference.…”

“…Nevertheless, there is evidence that many instructors would take a well-designed remote laboratory (if such is available) over a simulation.There are justifications for this preference. For example, [8] concluded that "the interaction with real equipment and real data in remote labs affords for more authentic inquiry, trustworthiness of data, a greater personal investment, a sense of presence and reality, and a stronger preference for remote labs than performing a similar experiment with simulated data".…”