Online farmakologi i det virtuelle laboratorium

Abstract

The virtual laboratory is a necessary complement to the future of learning bioscience. The virtual lab is a technology--based mock--up compared to the real lab. This virtual lab needs to be available for various purposes e.g. all day for a growing number of students. There are economical and ethical arguments for using the virtual lab. But in order to function as an optimal instructional strategy they need to be rethought technologically and pedagogically. Such a digital supplement requires a focus on implementation and other facilities and capabilities --including continuing education for the trainers and faculty. This paper discusses the virtual lab and reports from a pilot project where pharmacology students and teachers used a virtual lab. We argue that the virtual lab has important implications and represent an economically justifiable alternative. The virtual lab is juxtaposed with the classical lab through the lenses of habitus and hexis. We argue that educators must learn to use virtual laboratories critically and with preparation for implementation. Furthermore the paper discusses the educational potentials and limitations of the virtual lab compared with the classical laboratory as teaching environment. AbstractEt virtuelt laboratorium er et nødvendigt supplement til fremtidens undervisningsmiljø, som skal vaere tilgaengeligt i store dele af døgnet og for et voksende antal studerende. Ud fra økonomiske hensyn til besparelser kan man hertil argumentere for, at dyre laboratoriekurser i biomedicin skal gøres billigere. Men laboratorie--kurser skal ligeledes nytaenkes teknologisk og paedagogisk så de på strategisk og velafprøvet vis kan delvist erstattes af virtuelle laboratorier. Men et sådant digitalt supplement kraever fokus på implementering, faciliteter og kompetencer. I denne artikel vil vi diskutere anvendelsen af virtuelle laboratorier og rapporterer fra et pilotprojekt, hvor både farmakologi--studerende og --undervisere oplevede en raekke fordele ved at bruge et virtuelt laboratorium. Vi argumenterer for at et virtuelt laboratorium har vigtige didaktiske og økonomisk begrundede ressourcer som kan forstås ud fra sociologen Bourdieus begreber om habitus og hexis. Vi konkluderer dog med diverse forbehold herunder, at undervisere skal laere at bruge et virtuelt laboratorium kritisk og med forberedelse før implementering.