I have been doing a lot of thinking, reading, and talking with folks about the feasibility of using virtual labs in a high-end course such as Advanced Placement Biology. As documented before, the College Board had ruled that AP students must have guided hands-on (not virtual) laboratory experiences. This ruling has since been rescinded, as new developments in online learning may merit AP endorsements.
What do educational professionals think? I had the chance yesterday to talk with two such people: A current AP Biology private school teacher, and the science curriculum coordinator for the virtual school I am studying. These conversations have given me a pretty clear view of the issue. The AP Biology teacher is a 16-year veteran of the course, who runs her course in a traditional AP fashion. Her students conduct all 12 required AP Bio labs, in additional to other added labs. She reports that one of the four essays on the AP exam is usually about one of the 12 labs, and that most of the other labs are directly referred to in the exam (therefore the labs are IMPORTANT). When I asked her if she felt there was a place for virtual labs or simulations in an AP course, her answer surprised me. She said that she would use virtual labs for special circumstances (such as a student being absent on lab days). She also stated that if a lab was particularly difficult and if she had time, she would like to have students run through the virtual experience prior to doing the real thing; it could also be used as a lab practical. She did say that she feels strongly that students learn more and better by running the actual lab rather than a simulation.
How about the virtual school? My conversation with the school’s science curriculum coordinator was eye-opening. First, he told me that the College Board will NOT approve a 100% virtual lab for AP Bio. His school DOES have College Board approval, and to the best of his knowledge, always has. The way they received this approval was by forming a HYBRID of sorts between virtual labs and actual labs. As the curriculum for the school was created, the designers looked the AP Bio manual from the College Board. They decided that the safer labs could be done in the student’s home with school-supplied materials and parent-supplied supervision. For labs with dangerous or hazardous materials, the students are provided with virtual simulations. The school provides each student with a textbook (they currently use Campbell Biology text, ? edition) which comes with a CD of all of the simulations. This is a first-year college biology text that most high school AP Bio courses use. The school also uses subscription sites that show the simulations (the school does not use the SmartScience subscription I described in an earlier blog).
Right now, the school only offers AP Biology; they do not offer AP Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Physics. The school has one AP Biology teacher, who services close to 200 students each year. The curriculum coordinator reports that the students are expected to take the AP Biology exam in May; most of the students do take the exam. The student signs up for the exam through College Board and takes the exam at their neighborhood high school. The coordinator happily reported that their student’s scores are above the state average.
So, my final answer is this: If the AP Biology course is taught in a traditional school, do all of the labs physically, and supplement them with simulations and virtual labs. If a high school does not offer AP Biology for whatever reason, then they should be able to and allowed to take it through a virtual school. The virtual school should make every attempt to allow students to do as much of the lab work physically at home with school-supplied lab materials; the rest should be done online. The students should take the AP exam at the end of the year. This HYBRID model is working with the virtual school I am studying.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Limitations of Virtual Science Laboratories
To be fair, while considering the positive attributes of virtual science laboratories, one must also consider the limitations of virtual science laboratories as well. The NSTA states that the laboratory experience is so integral to the nature of science that it must be included in every science program. Inquiry-based laboratory investigations at every level should be at the core of the science program and should be woven into every lesson and concept strand. To view the NSTA position statement on the role of the laboratory in the science program, please see the link for the NSTA at:
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/laboratory.aspx
The first limitation is that there are some labs completed in science that cannot be replicated online or on a CD-rom. In my science class today, my students dissected a 12” squid. I have paper versions of the dissection that the students may use for directions and guidance. I also have a CD-rom called BioLab Invertebrate which contains external and internal anatomies of the squid. But there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bait squid or even of squid soaked in formaldehyde. I will say that the BioLab products are the best out there, in my opinion. Besides the BioLab Invertebrate program (virtual dissection of the earthworm, starfish, crayfish, and squid), there are also BioLab virtual dissections of the frog, the fish, the pig, and the cat. These are animals typically dissected in middle school and high school science classes. These products may be ordered from Carolina Math & Science, at http://www.carolina.com/. Any computer-based learning method will sacrifice the visual, olfactory, and kinesthetic aspects of a traditional laboratory, and thus give up some learning opportunities.
Another related limitation is that by using virtual labs instead of hands-on labs, students will not get the experience handling equipment, measuring devices, glassware, etc. Here is another example. Yesterday, I had the chance to watch Forensic Science students (11th and 12th grade) learn how to perform a gel electrophoresis lab. The directions were very detailed, and the instructor walked the students carefully through the lab. There were several steps that were tricky, requiring precision accuracy. While these steps can be practiced virtually using the University of Utah’s website detailed in a previous blog (see link at http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/biotech/index.cfm),
I can see the tremendous value in having the students physically perform the laboratory.
That leads to another limitation, which is mentioned in the NY Times article already referenced in this blog: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/education/20online.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The College Board feels that some professors who admit virtual school A.P. science students into their programs never having used real equipment. And remember, if a student passed an A.P. exam, they would enter into a second semester or second year college science course, having already received credit for the introductory course covered by the A.P. course. Would these students be at a disadvantage behind peers who have already mastered lab skills required for upper division science courses, especially if they were science majors?
Another limitation falls under the category of assessment. How do you evaluate a lab with no equipment? How do you accredit courses using labs with no equipment? It may also be expensive and time-consuming to develop a virtual lab that includes all possible variables in the lab. A situation may come up where students desire a parameter for their lab that has not been included in the computer programming.
While it is true that virtual science laboratories have several limitations, the positive attributes meet the requirements set forth by such associations as the NSTA, and are viable alternatives to traditional school labs. Please share any thoughts you have here.
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/laboratory.aspx
The first limitation is that there are some labs completed in science that cannot be replicated online or on a CD-rom. In my science class today, my students dissected a 12” squid. I have paper versions of the dissection that the students may use for directions and guidance. I also have a CD-rom called BioLab Invertebrate which contains external and internal anatomies of the squid. But there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bait squid or even of squid soaked in formaldehyde. I will say that the BioLab products are the best out there, in my opinion. Besides the BioLab Invertebrate program (virtual dissection of the earthworm, starfish, crayfish, and squid), there are also BioLab virtual dissections of the frog, the fish, the pig, and the cat. These are animals typically dissected in middle school and high school science classes. These products may be ordered from Carolina Math & Science, at http://www.carolina.com/. Any computer-based learning method will sacrifice the visual, olfactory, and kinesthetic aspects of a traditional laboratory, and thus give up some learning opportunities.
Another related limitation is that by using virtual labs instead of hands-on labs, students will not get the experience handling equipment, measuring devices, glassware, etc. Here is another example. Yesterday, I had the chance to watch Forensic Science students (11th and 12th grade) learn how to perform a gel electrophoresis lab. The directions were very detailed, and the instructor walked the students carefully through the lab. There were several steps that were tricky, requiring precision accuracy. While these steps can be practiced virtually using the University of Utah’s website detailed in a previous blog (see link at http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/biotech/index.cfm),
I can see the tremendous value in having the students physically perform the laboratory.
That leads to another limitation, which is mentioned in the NY Times article already referenced in this blog: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/education/20online.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The College Board feels that some professors who admit virtual school A.P. science students into their programs never having used real equipment. And remember, if a student passed an A.P. exam, they would enter into a second semester or second year college science course, having already received credit for the introductory course covered by the A.P. course. Would these students be at a disadvantage behind peers who have already mastered lab skills required for upper division science courses, especially if they were science majors?
Another limitation falls under the category of assessment. How do you evaluate a lab with no equipment? How do you accredit courses using labs with no equipment? It may also be expensive and time-consuming to develop a virtual lab that includes all possible variables in the lab. A situation may come up where students desire a parameter for their lab that has not been included in the computer programming.
While it is true that virtual science laboratories have several limitations, the positive attributes meet the requirements set forth by such associations as the NSTA, and are viable alternatives to traditional school labs. Please share any thoughts you have here.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Virtual Science Labs-College Review
At the elementary school and middle school level, it appears that the most common forms of online laboratories are simulations and at-home labs, as described in earlier blog posts. As I have been searching through various web sites, I have found several applications of virtual laboratories and simulations at the advanced high school level and college level. Here are some examples.
Brigham Young University offers a distance-education degree program that features a simulated chemistry lab known as the Virtual ChemLab, which allows students to conduct chemistry experiments from the safety of their homes, submitting lab reports online. Some college officials feel that the online labs are advanced enough to earn the student college credit. These courses may be suitable for non-science majors, and for science majors to practice on equipment that their university may not have. You can read more about other virtual labs being developed at other universities such as the University of Colorado at Denver, UNC at Greensboro, and University of Texas Medical Branch in the 1/31/03 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education Information Technology at http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i21/21a03001.htm.
Virtual laboratories to teach science and engineering principles have been developed for use at Northwestern University and Oxford University. The courses are designed to allow students to focus on fundamentals of basic science and engineering, allowing students to design, analyze, and test artifacts in a simulated environment. See the project summary at http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/NSF/avl.htm.
Johns Hopkins University offers an introduction to engineering course that uses an interactive virtual laboratory setting. Some of the experiments offered are in logic circuits, diffusion processes, robotic arm control, bridge design, sound propagation and heat conduction. Please read about the experiments at http://www.jhu.edu/virtlab/virtlab.html.
The University of Virginia hosts the UVa Virtual Lab, which was discussed in an earlier blog (see Virtual Science Labs, March 21, 2008). Once you enter the virtual lab, you choose from a floor plan which individual lab you want to enter. I visited the E & M (electricity and magnetism) lab. Here you can investigate such devices as a Van de Graaf generator (and listen to a podcast), a pith ball ping pong, and learn about other topics related to electricity and magnetism. While these programs are interactive, I would not classify them as actual labs, but rather as demonstrations. You can find the link to the UVa Virtual Lab at http://virlab.virginia.edu/VL/home.htm.
The University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center offers three excellent interactive biotechniques labs, were the user can learn and practice basic techniques for use by molecular biologists. The labs are DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and DNA microarray. The gel electrophoresis technique is used in the high school AP Biology course. This is the best online lab/simulation I have found so far in my research. You can try these out yourself by visiting the link at: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/biotech/index.cfm
Finally, Ohio University hosts the Interactive Science Lab, a virtual lab for middle school students. This lab allows middle school students conduct science experiments online. The experiments include a game with a scoring system to make the students entertained. The two experiments included are the sugar water solubility experiment and the Redi experiment (which disproved the theory of spontaneous generation). Try the labs at http://steam.cs.ohio.edu/interactivescience.html.
Brigham Young University offers a distance-education degree program that features a simulated chemistry lab known as the Virtual ChemLab, which allows students to conduct chemistry experiments from the safety of their homes, submitting lab reports online. Some college officials feel that the online labs are advanced enough to earn the student college credit. These courses may be suitable for non-science majors, and for science majors to practice on equipment that their university may not have. You can read more about other virtual labs being developed at other universities such as the University of Colorado at Denver, UNC at Greensboro, and University of Texas Medical Branch in the 1/31/03 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education Information Technology at http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i21/21a03001.htm.
Virtual laboratories to teach science and engineering principles have been developed for use at Northwestern University and Oxford University. The courses are designed to allow students to focus on fundamentals of basic science and engineering, allowing students to design, analyze, and test artifacts in a simulated environment. See the project summary at http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/NSF/avl.htm.
Johns Hopkins University offers an introduction to engineering course that uses an interactive virtual laboratory setting. Some of the experiments offered are in logic circuits, diffusion processes, robotic arm control, bridge design, sound propagation and heat conduction. Please read about the experiments at http://www.jhu.edu/virtlab/virtlab.html.
The University of Virginia hosts the UVa Virtual Lab, which was discussed in an earlier blog (see Virtual Science Labs, March 21, 2008). Once you enter the virtual lab, you choose from a floor plan which individual lab you want to enter. I visited the E & M (electricity and magnetism) lab. Here you can investigate such devices as a Van de Graaf generator (and listen to a podcast), a pith ball ping pong, and learn about other topics related to electricity and magnetism. While these programs are interactive, I would not classify them as actual labs, but rather as demonstrations. You can find the link to the UVa Virtual Lab at http://virlab.virginia.edu/VL/home.htm.
The University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center offers three excellent interactive biotechniques labs, were the user can learn and practice basic techniques for use by molecular biologists. The labs are DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and DNA microarray. The gel electrophoresis technique is used in the high school AP Biology course. This is the best online lab/simulation I have found so far in my research. You can try these out yourself by visiting the link at: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/biotech/index.cfm
Finally, Ohio University hosts the Interactive Science Lab, a virtual lab for middle school students. This lab allows middle school students conduct science experiments online. The experiments include a game with a scoring system to make the students entertained. The two experiments included are the sugar water solubility experiment and the Redi experiment (which disproved the theory of spontaneous generation). Try the labs at http://steam.cs.ohio.edu/interactivescience.html.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
What is the NSTA Position?
What is position of the National Science Teachers Association on distance learning and science education? You can read their position statement at:
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/distancelearning.aspx
They note that "distance learning" is really nothing new, but the mediums in which distance learning can be accomplished has changed dramatically over the past few years, thanks to the infusion of technology into the schools and scientific institutions. The NSTA defines distance education by adopting the U.S. Department of Education's definition, which is " The application of telecommunications and electronic devices which enables students and learners to receive instruction that originates from some distant location. Typically, the learner is given the capacity to interact with the instructor or program directly and given the opportunity to meet with the instructor on a periodic basis."
This definition perfectly describes the virtual school I have been working with, and has been described in detail in previous postings of this blog.
What then is the position the NSTA has on distance learning in science education? They have 7 criteria, which are listed below. Does this virtual school and specifically its science classes meet these criteria? Look for evidences in italics.
INTERACTION: There must be continuous interaction between the teacher and learners, where the teacher continuously monitors and adjusts the learning environment. This would include feedback from the teacher, dialogue between teacher and learner, and dialogue between learners.
The virtual school teacher has frequent phone calls with each student for course discussions, tutoring, oral assessments, and other needs. The teacher also provides online feedback on every assignment submitted. There are forums where students can interact with one another while the teacher supervises.
FLEXIBILITY: Instructional design is flexible for individual students to accommodate for individual differences in learning.
The virtual school is completely designed with flexibility in mind, both in timing of course work and content of delivery and assessments.
MANIPULATIVE EXPERIENCES: Science education must be hands-on and minds-on, safe, and supervised.
The virtual middle school has students perform labs and activities at home with store-bought materials. Parents are required to supervise. The virtual high school has students perform labs and activities at home with school-supplied materials. Parents are required to supervise.
COMPETENCY: Teachers must be qualified and competent to teach specific subjects and grade levels.
Teachers at the virtual school are certified, many nationally certified, and many hold advanced degrees.
A VARIETY OF APPROPRIATE RESOURCES: Learning resources must be varied and appropriate, supplying learners with many supplemental resources that support distance learning.
The virtual school curriculum provides many links, videos, outside readings, and supplemental experiences for the learner.
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY: Technology should be chosen and used for excellent science education. A combination of technologies is needed for teaching and learning within the class, and linking the class with the outside world.
The virtual school uses the Elluminate! to communicate with the students. Here, the teacher can talk with students, supply modules, assignments, and internet links. The students can upload assignments, and get feedback from the instructor.
EVALUATION: Both programs and student learning must be assessed in an ongoing fashion, to ensure the best possible education in science. Both summative and formative assessments should be used to guide continuous improvement of instruction.
The virtual school allows for instant feedback from the teacher during an online discussion. The students have opportunities to upload computer assignments to the teacher, and have the teacher grade them. The teacher conducts oral quizzes over the phone to insure academic integrity. The teacher uses the information gathered from the students to improve science instruction.
In my opinion, the virtual school meets all of the criteria set forth by the NSTA, and has done so in an exemplary fashion. What I would like to see improvement in for the future is the development of more home and online laboratory experiences, making certain that the science is taught in a hands-on and minds-on way.
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/distancelearning.aspx
They note that "distance learning" is really nothing new, but the mediums in which distance learning can be accomplished has changed dramatically over the past few years, thanks to the infusion of technology into the schools and scientific institutions. The NSTA defines distance education by adopting the U.S. Department of Education's definition, which is " The application of telecommunications and electronic devices which enables students and learners to receive instruction that originates from some distant location. Typically, the learner is given the capacity to interact with the instructor or program directly and given the opportunity to meet with the instructor on a periodic basis."
This definition perfectly describes the virtual school I have been working with, and has been described in detail in previous postings of this blog.
What then is the position the NSTA has on distance learning in science education? They have 7 criteria, which are listed below. Does this virtual school and specifically its science classes meet these criteria? Look for evidences in italics.
INTERACTION: There must be continuous interaction between the teacher and learners, where the teacher continuously monitors and adjusts the learning environment. This would include feedback from the teacher, dialogue between teacher and learner, and dialogue between learners.
The virtual school teacher has frequent phone calls with each student for course discussions, tutoring, oral assessments, and other needs. The teacher also provides online feedback on every assignment submitted. There are forums where students can interact with one another while the teacher supervises.
FLEXIBILITY: Instructional design is flexible for individual students to accommodate for individual differences in learning.
The virtual school is completely designed with flexibility in mind, both in timing of course work and content of delivery and assessments.
MANIPULATIVE EXPERIENCES: Science education must be hands-on and minds-on, safe, and supervised.
The virtual middle school has students perform labs and activities at home with store-bought materials. Parents are required to supervise. The virtual high school has students perform labs and activities at home with school-supplied materials. Parents are required to supervise.
COMPETENCY: Teachers must be qualified and competent to teach specific subjects and grade levels.
Teachers at the virtual school are certified, many nationally certified, and many hold advanced degrees.
A VARIETY OF APPROPRIATE RESOURCES: Learning resources must be varied and appropriate, supplying learners with many supplemental resources that support distance learning.
The virtual school curriculum provides many links, videos, outside readings, and supplemental experiences for the learner.
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY: Technology should be chosen and used for excellent science education. A combination of technologies is needed for teaching and learning within the class, and linking the class with the outside world.
The virtual school uses the Elluminate! to communicate with the students. Here, the teacher can talk with students, supply modules, assignments, and internet links. The students can upload assignments, and get feedback from the instructor.
EVALUATION: Both programs and student learning must be assessed in an ongoing fashion, to ensure the best possible education in science. Both summative and formative assessments should be used to guide continuous improvement of instruction.
The virtual school allows for instant feedback from the teacher during an online discussion. The students have opportunities to upload computer assignments to the teacher, and have the teacher grade them. The teacher conducts oral quizzes over the phone to insure academic integrity. The teacher uses the information gathered from the students to improve science instruction.
In my opinion, the virtual school meets all of the criteria set forth by the NSTA, and has done so in an exemplary fashion. What I would like to see improvement in for the future is the development of more home and online laboratory experiences, making certain that the science is taught in a hands-on and minds-on way.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Positive Attributes of Virtual Science Laboratories
Virtual science labs are popping up everywhere online. It appears that there are several types of labs. There are interactive sites for elementary and middle school science. A few of these were documented in my earlier blog (see Virtual Science Labs, Friday 3/21/08). In some of these sites, students can move objects around with their mouse, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions (such as the Weight and Mass lab from explorelearning.com). The virtual school I am working with has several of these laboratories.
For example, in the sixth grade science course, students learn about density in a virtual lab. The student has a virtual object of a given shape. The student picks up the object with the mouse and places it on a virtual scale. This gives the student the mass of the object. The student then puts the object in a virtual graduated cylinder filled part way with virtual water. The student finds the volume based on the displacement of water. The student is to calculate density by dividing mass by volume. Next, the student is asked to predict if the object will sink or float in a pail of water. The student will look at density to aid in the prediction (density < 1 =" float;"> 1 = sink). Finally, the student will put the virtual object in a virtual pail of water to test the prediction. Throughout the process, there are also questions the student can answer to receive a self-check, and instant feedback.
Wouldn’t it be better to do this lab with real objects, scales, and graduated cylinders? There are many opinions on this matter. In the article “The Virtual Lab Experiment”, Dan Carnevale discusses the positive attributes of virtual labs. His article is written from the college perspective, but I believe the arguments hold true for high school and middle school science. Here is a summary of some of the positive attributes of virtual labs:
1. Students can conduct experiments from the safety of their homes
2. Dangerous chemicals are not used
3. The student has some flexibility to experiment on their own rather than follow strict and rigid rules
4. Students have time to experiment freely
5. Students can experiment with any combination of items without danger to themselves
6. Real lab supplies and equipment are costly
7. Some schools do not have budget for costly items
8. Virtual labs may be adequate for students who need a science course but are not planning on studying science in college
9. Students may be given more variables in a virtual lab than in a real lab
Article from the January 31, 2003 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education Information Technology (http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i21/21a03001.htm).
Another angle on the virtual lab is to combine a virtual experiment with an experiment conducted at home using inexpensive, store-bought materials. The same sixth grade science course offers labs such as these as well. For example, in a laboratory on mitosis, a student works with a parent or guardian and cuts an onion, stains it, and looks at it up close with a magnifying glass. The student should at least see little dots on the onion, which would be the nuclei of the cells. The student then goes online and gets feedback photos of onions, onion cells, nuclei, and cells undergoing mitosis. There are written comments and picture downloads the student can get from their instructors. The student answers questions online about the onion, phases of mitosis, and other similar information. The teacher in turn provides feedback to the student.
Just a note about these online labs at the middle school level: The virtual school requires that all physical labs are supervised by an adult. Prior to performing a lab, the parent must sign and fax in a lab safety and adult consent form.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Virtual Science Labs
How would students complete science laboratories in a virtual school? The students that attend the virtual school I am studying complete their labs in the way I described earlier in this blog (see How the Science Class Works, Friday 3/14/08). Middle School students do labs at home with their own supplies, under parental supervision. High School students get their lab supplies sent from the school. These labs are all actual labs using real equipment and supplies. What kinds of labs are available that are virtual?
I went online to find some services available to teachers and schools that offer online laboratories. The first website I found was called ExploreLearning, which offers interactive math and science simulations. They offer online science activities for grades 3-5 and 6-8. The link is http://www.explorelearning.com/
For grades 3-5, ExploreLearning offers lessons called "Gizmos" in the areas of Radiation, Weight and Mass, Summer and Winter, Germination, and Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane). I decided to investigate the Weight and Mass unit. See http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?methold=cResource,dspDetail&ResourceID=653
This website gives more of the details of the activities. Students use a balance to measure mass and a spring scale to measure the weight of objects. The program converts the masses and weights on Earth to the same on Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon, for comparison. The website lists the learning objectives, the vocabulary, and the National Science Education Standards covered by the unit.
Another website I looked at was called the Schlumberger Science Lab, offering experiments and projects to do at home or in the classroom. Some of the virtual experiments offered are: Design Your Own Universe, Galileo Drops the Ball, Friction Explorer, Viscosity Explorer, Doppler Train, Earthquake Epicenters, and Geologic History of the Earth. The website also offers more science lab projects about air and space, earth science, electricity and magnetism, and properties of liquids. The link is http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/lab/index_virtual.htm. It looks like these labs would be suitable for middle school and possibly high school students.
The University of Virginia hosts a virtual lab that appears to offer high-end laboratories for college students. The link is http://virlab.virginia.edu/VL/home.htm
When I navigated through some of this website, I found interesting demos and graphics of DNA, scanning tunneling microscopes, nanotubes, and buckyballs, but did not find a way to enter the actual virtual lab. I will keep investigating this website.
Finally, back to the issue of AP labs and College Board approval. From what I can tell, the College Board has adopted lab criteria to determine if lab experiences in science courses qualify to use the AP designation. The National Research Council published these criteria as goals for laboratory experiences. The criteria are:
1. Understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work
2. Developing scientific reasoning
3. Understanding the nature of science
4. Enhancing a mastery of subject matter
5. Developing practical skills
6. Cultivating interest in science and interest in learning science
7. Developing teamwork abilities
I found these criteria at a website that sells AP labs licenses. The company is called Smart Science, and is can be found at this link: http://www.smartscience.net/SmartScience/SmartScienceAPBioLabs.html
This link is for teaching the AP Biology course, the site also offers labs for chemistry and physics. I am the most familiar with the requirements for AP Bio, as I have taught it in the past. There are 12 required labs that are covered in a year of AP Bio, and these labs may be included on the AP exam. Upon looking at the website, it appears that all 12 of the labs are included. Unfortunately the demo did not give me too much insight into how the laboratory works, nor did the website give pricing for their product.
I have mixed opinions about the feasibility of using virtual labs in science courses. If a student can do the lab physically at home with either home equipment or school-supplied equipment, then the lab would most likely meet the educational goals it was designed for. Would a student be able to achieve the same goals if the lab was done entirely on the internet, and no equipment was touched? I think it would depend on what the goals were. It would be difficult for a student to learn how to replicate difficult lab procedures while watching someone do it online. On the other hand, if the goal was to teach someone how to collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions from that data, I don't see why they couldn't do this in an online setting. What do you think?
I went online to find some services available to teachers and schools that offer online laboratories. The first website I found was called ExploreLearning, which offers interactive math and science simulations. They offer online science activities for grades 3-5 and 6-8. The link is http://www.explorelearning.com/
For grades 3-5, ExploreLearning offers lessons called "Gizmos" in the areas of Radiation, Weight and Mass, Summer and Winter, Germination, and Ants on a Slant (Inclined Plane). I decided to investigate the Weight and Mass unit. See http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?methold=cResource,dspDetail&ResourceID=653
This website gives more of the details of the activities. Students use a balance to measure mass and a spring scale to measure the weight of objects. The program converts the masses and weights on Earth to the same on Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon, for comparison. The website lists the learning objectives, the vocabulary, and the National Science Education Standards covered by the unit.
Another website I looked at was called the Schlumberger Science Lab, offering experiments and projects to do at home or in the classroom. Some of the virtual experiments offered are: Design Your Own Universe, Galileo Drops the Ball, Friction Explorer, Viscosity Explorer, Doppler Train, Earthquake Epicenters, and Geologic History of the Earth. The website also offers more science lab projects about air and space, earth science, electricity and magnetism, and properties of liquids. The link is http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/lab/index_virtual.htm. It looks like these labs would be suitable for middle school and possibly high school students.
The University of Virginia hosts a virtual lab that appears to offer high-end laboratories for college students. The link is http://virlab.virginia.edu/VL/home.htm
When I navigated through some of this website, I found interesting demos and graphics of DNA, scanning tunneling microscopes, nanotubes, and buckyballs, but did not find a way to enter the actual virtual lab. I will keep investigating this website.
Finally, back to the issue of AP labs and College Board approval. From what I can tell, the College Board has adopted lab criteria to determine if lab experiences in science courses qualify to use the AP designation. The National Research Council published these criteria as goals for laboratory experiences. The criteria are:
1. Understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work
2. Developing scientific reasoning
3. Understanding the nature of science
4. Enhancing a mastery of subject matter
5. Developing practical skills
6. Cultivating interest in science and interest in learning science
7. Developing teamwork abilities
I found these criteria at a website that sells AP labs licenses. The company is called Smart Science, and is can be found at this link: http://www.smartscience.net/SmartScience/SmartScienceAPBioLabs.html
This link is for teaching the AP Biology course, the site also offers labs for chemistry and physics. I am the most familiar with the requirements for AP Bio, as I have taught it in the past. There are 12 required labs that are covered in a year of AP Bio, and these labs may be included on the AP exam. Upon looking at the website, it appears that all 12 of the labs are included. Unfortunately the demo did not give me too much insight into how the laboratory works, nor did the website give pricing for their product.
I have mixed opinions about the feasibility of using virtual labs in science courses. If a student can do the lab physically at home with either home equipment or school-supplied equipment, then the lab would most likely meet the educational goals it was designed for. Would a student be able to achieve the same goals if the lab was done entirely on the internet, and no equipment was touched? I think it would depend on what the goals were. It would be difficult for a student to learn how to replicate difficult lab procedures while watching someone do it online. On the other hand, if the goal was to teach someone how to collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions from that data, I don't see why they couldn't do this in an online setting. What do you think?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Virtual School and Science Instruction
The virtual school I am working with is in transition this week, so I thought I would visit their website and find out some general information about the school and specific information about their science programs. The school's main mission is to personalize instruction for all enrolled students, allowing them to be in school at the time and place of their choosing, and at the path and pace that best suits their needs. The student has the choice as to how they learn and how they can show what they have learned. The school aims to be flexible, dynamic, and engaging, and prefers to integrate the students' subjects rather than teach everything in an isolated fashion. The students, parents, teachers, and community all share responsibility in each students' education.
This school is an established leader in virtual schooling, and uses what they call the e-learning model. Here are some links for samples of e-learning services (not necessarily used by this particular virtual school):
http://www.aventalearning.com/index.html
http://www.concord.org/courses/cc_e-learning_model.html
The school offers several paths for science studies. In the middle school, there are 3 courses available, each at the standard and advanced level. The courses are Comprehensive Science 1 (for 6th grade), Comprehensive Science 2 (for 7th grade), and Comprehensive Science 3 (for 8th grace). The students have more options available at the high school level. They can take Biology 1, Chemistry 1, Earth and Space Science, Physics, Marine Science, and Advanced Placement Biology. The school makes a point that their science curriculum is on a redevelopment cycle to respond to state standard changes, and College Board criteria for AP courses (see NY Times article referenced earlier in this blog-http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/education/20online.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin). In 2006, the College Board, who oversees all Advanced Placement courses, stated that "Online science courses can only be labeled 'A.P.' if the online provider" can ensure "that students have a guided, hands-on (not virtual) laboratory experience." Later that year, after an outcry by online schools, the board issued an apology, stating that there may be new developments in online learning, possibly meriting endorsements. It looks like this issue is still under debate.
The virtual school also offers a unique opportunity for their science students...a science fair. The school states that they are dedicated to promoting a real life scientific atmosphere in a virtual world, so it offers students the chance to achieve higher learning through competitive science projects. They had 5 categories for science projects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Engineering, Earth Sciences, and Health. 19 students participated in this year's fair. Each student wrote up their entire project, from title, hypothesis, research question, materials, procedure, results, data, conclusion, applications, etc. in a slide format. I was able to look at each students' slide show and was impressed by several of the projects. I felt that the student work was similar in quality and caliber to "live" projects I have viewed at school and county science fairs. I would like to get more information on how the projects were mentored by teachers as well as outside scientists, and how the projects were judged.
As teaching science in a virtual world is still a new notion for me, I have not obtained enough data and information to form an opinion on its' effectiveness yet. I see many pros and cons, and will be discussing these in my next few posts. Please feel free to add any comments, links, questions, or general information to my blog.
This school is an established leader in virtual schooling, and uses what they call the e-learning model. Here are some links for samples of e-learning services (not necessarily used by this particular virtual school):
http://www.aventalearning.com/index.html
http://www.concord.org/courses/cc_e-learning_model.html
The school offers several paths for science studies. In the middle school, there are 3 courses available, each at the standard and advanced level. The courses are Comprehensive Science 1 (for 6th grade), Comprehensive Science 2 (for 7th grade), and Comprehensive Science 3 (for 8th grace). The students have more options available at the high school level. They can take Biology 1, Chemistry 1, Earth and Space Science, Physics, Marine Science, and Advanced Placement Biology. The school makes a point that their science curriculum is on a redevelopment cycle to respond to state standard changes, and College Board criteria for AP courses (see NY Times article referenced earlier in this blog-http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/education/20online.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin). In 2006, the College Board, who oversees all Advanced Placement courses, stated that "Online science courses can only be labeled 'A.P.' if the online provider" can ensure "that students have a guided, hands-on (not virtual) laboratory experience." Later that year, after an outcry by online schools, the board issued an apology, stating that there may be new developments in online learning, possibly meriting endorsements. It looks like this issue is still under debate.
The virtual school also offers a unique opportunity for their science students...a science fair. The school states that they are dedicated to promoting a real life scientific atmosphere in a virtual world, so it offers students the chance to achieve higher learning through competitive science projects. They had 5 categories for science projects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Engineering, Earth Sciences, and Health. 19 students participated in this year's fair. Each student wrote up their entire project, from title, hypothesis, research question, materials, procedure, results, data, conclusion, applications, etc. in a slide format. I was able to look at each students' slide show and was impressed by several of the projects. I felt that the student work was similar in quality and caliber to "live" projects I have viewed at school and county science fairs. I would like to get more information on how the projects were mentored by teachers as well as outside scientists, and how the projects were judged.
As teaching science in a virtual world is still a new notion for me, I have not obtained enough data and information to form an opinion on its' effectiveness yet. I see many pros and cons, and will be discussing these in my next few posts. Please feel free to add any comments, links, questions, or general information to my blog.
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