Online Laboratories as An Effective Teaching Tool in the Geosciences

Online science laboratories present major challenges to equal the collaboration, critical thinking, and hands-on skills of on-campus labs. The Department of Earth Sciences at IUPUI created its first online laboratory in 2006 to create a distance learning environment equivalent to existing on-campus laboratories. The course, “Indiana Geology Field Experience”, mimics a physical geology laboratory curriculum and contains seven workbook-based activities, three self-paced field trip activities, and online learning materials to supplement each activity.

To overcome the challenges of recreating a campus laboratory in an online setting, we integrated innovative technology with traditional laboratory materials. Laboratory exercises are distributed to students in a custom lab book supplemented with topographic maps and a sedimentary rock set. As a commuter campus, students can conveniently drive to three state parks to complete field trips. For each trip, students are provided a printable detailed worksheet and downloadable MP3 audio files with lectures keyed to certain stops within the parks. Use of wikis, chat tools, discussion forums, and future use of Google Maps on select lab activities fosters collaboration among students.

Student learning and course effectiveness is assessed through unsolicited feedback, requested responses after submission of laboratory exercises, anonymous campus and school evaluations and analysis of student lab reports. Each semester we've analyzed weakness in student laboratory reports and created short narrated “whiteboard” tutorial videos to address concepts student needed assistance to master. Addition of these web/Flash-based A/V tutorials raised student performance to equal comprehension in on-campus laboratories. Most students mastered the ability to make accurate and careful field observations and apply course concepts in their field reports. Students reacted positively to the field trip/audio file curriculum; major comments were the significant time commitment of each field trip, the rugged nature of the state park trail system, and minor student injuries on the trip.