A recent article by Jamie Littlefield, distance education writer for about.com, that I thought was pretty intriguing. What are your thoughts on “a lab in a box” … seems like it could be dangerous to me! What do you think?
Do-it-Yourself Labs
Sunday June 7, 2009
Some courses such as biology and chemistry are often considered more difficult to teach online. Without the hands-on aspects of lab learning, students miss out on experiences essential to the subject.
Now, many online programs are embracing the mail-order lab, allowing students to recreate experiments in their own homes. The Denver Post reports:
"With online education and virtual classrooms becoming more popular, an Englewood-based company is helping to bridge the gap between home-based education and laboratory experience.
Hands-On Labs Inc., through a product line called LabPaqs, has adapted laboratory experiments to a smaller scale that fits in a cardboard box and can be mailed to students...LabPaq products range from micro- chemistry sets to kits that allow students to dissect fetal pigs in their kitchens."
Reading about an experiment or watching one online simply isn't the same as conducting the exercise yourself. The creation of at-home lab kits means that online students will be able to receive more comprehensive science instruction from the comfort of their homes.
Source: http://distancelearn.about.com/b/2009/06/07/do-it-yourself-labs.htm?nl=1