VR Meets General Biology at Emporia State
This semester, Learning Technologies at Emporia State University launched an innovative and exciting new general biology course using virtual reality headsets and a virtual lab application called Labster. It is believed that ESU is the first university in Kansas to offer general biology in this format.
The idea for this initiative came from early efforts at Arizona State University who was among the first institutions in the country to utilize VR headsets in a general biology (non-majors) course. Following this effort, learning designers at ESU contacted the lead designers at Arizona State for further information. These designers were very generous in providing logistical information regarding their course, along with the technologies used. After following up with the ESU faculty member who would teaching this course and discussing the proposal, the department elected to move forward with purchase of 20 Lenovo Mirage with Daydream headsets, along with 20 licenses for Labster - the company that developed the product. Labster, based in Norway, is a relative newcomer in this space, having started just six years ago. They've created more than 50 virtual biology simulations, including animal genetics, bacterial isolation, cell structure, embryology, and more. There are even more simulations for engineering, physics, sports medicine, chemistry, and other disciplines. More than 300 simulations in total. Labster currently releases a new simulation at a rate of about one/month for both secondary and post-secondary curricula.
You may be wondering what was the impetus for launching a course using this technology. We believe that the future will be in virtualized experiences for students - especially those that are offered online. This particular course is part of a new undergraduate general studies online program at Emporia State. Given that biology and other lab-based courses are difficult to replicate online, learning designers were looking for a solution that brings the real-life lab experience to the online student. One tried-and-true solution is a physical kit that can be mailed to students that contains a variety of lab equipment. However, these often do not include the components required by the instructor, nor do they always match the curriculum.
The solution was Labster. Given that there are currently 50+ virtual biology activities, the instructor really has no lack of curricular opportunities. In addition, Labster integrates into most popular LMS products, allowing the instructor to create assignments and activities that align with the virtual labs. If a student does not wish to use a headset, they can interact with Labster using a web browser. These labs also provide a degree of safety. Students can "handle" otherwise dangerous products and equipment in a safe and secure format. Moreover, not many institutions have equivalent physical resources or labs to match the virtual labs. Students have access to world-class virtual environments and equipment, such as centrifuges, that they otherwise would never be able to see, let alone use. Labster designs these simulations in concert with leading research universities, such as MIT.
One of the outstanding challenges of this delivery format remains accessibility. The VR technologies have not yet addressed students with visual impairments, so there is currently no equitable experience. The hope is that as these technologies are increasingly utilized and as they become increasingly more sophisticated that there will be an alternative version of the experience that students with disabilities can access for an online course. Until then, we will alert students with disabilities that this format may not work well for them.
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