As part of the Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) project the University is investing in digital pre-lab resources. These resources will be in three main formats: instructional videos, virtual labs and 360-degree lab tours.<\/p>\n
Instructional videos aim to demonstrate either a specific technique or an entire practical procedure. Virtual labs are interactive resources, often two-dimensional simulations, which allow students to try a practical before they get into the real lab. 360-degree tours are either photos or videos of labs with embedded content so students can click on a piece of equipment to learn more about it.<\/p>\n
But what is the evidence that these resources improve students’ experiences in the lab?<\/p>\n
Abdulwahed and Nagy (2009) found two benefits of using virtual labs. First they identified improved conceptual understanding, and second they found that pre-labs reduced students’ cognitive load. They explained these findings using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, mapping the use of a virtual prelab onto the Kolb stages of reflective observation, active conceptualization and active experimentation.<\/p>\n
Others studies focus on the experiential benefits that pre-lab videos can offer to students.<\/p>\n
Jolley et al (2016) suggest that although videos do not necessarily lead to a direct improvement in academic performance, students do report feeling better prepared and that the resources had a positive effect on their learning in general. Jolley et al propose that if positive student experiences in the lab are important then these findings justify the investment in pre-labs videos.<\/p>\n
Finally, a thought from one of our own undergraduates when asked about the impact of a pre-lab video in Biosciences: “Pre-lab videos increase confidence going into a lab, as you can ask more detailed questions as to what’s happening metabolically for example in an API strip, rather than spending time asking mundane questions about how to fill a cupule or such questions.”<\/p>\n
Abdulwahed, M. and Nagy, Z.K., 2009. Applying Kolb’s experiential learning cycle for laboratory education.<\/a> Journal of Engineering Education, 98(3), pp. 283-294.<\/p>\n Jolley, D.F., Wilson, S. R., Kelso, C., O\u2019Brien, G. and Mason, C. E. (2016) Analytical Thinking, Analytical Action: Using Prelab Video Demonstrations and e-Quizzes To Improve Undergraduate Preparedness for Analytical Chemistry Practical Classes<\/a>. Journal of Chemical Education, 93 (11), pp. 1855-1862<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As part of the Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) project the University is investing in digital pre-lab resources. These resources will be in three main formats: instructional videos, virtual labs and 360-degree lab tours. Instructional videos aim to demonstrate either a specific technique or an entire practical procedure. Virtual labs are interactive resources, often two-dimensional simulations, … Continue reading “Do digital pre-lab resources improve students’ experience of lab work? – by Joseph Berry (HEFi)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,31,34,58,91,46,13,18],"tags":[17,5,4,67,22,3,19,60,47,28,20],"class_list":["post-1552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-digital","category-e-learning","category-inclusion","category-staff","category-student-views","category-students","category-teaching","category-technology","tag-curriculum","tag-digital","tag-e-learning","tag-innovation","tag-learning","tag-online","tag-skills","tag-staff","tag-students","tag-teaching","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1552"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1554,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552\/revisions\/1554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/bigconversation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}