Webinar: Opening up the Laboratory.
This webinar had a $25.00 registration fee which included a continuing education certificate. (Recording and materials will be available only for the registered participants).
The presenter: Dr. Dietmar Kennepohl FCIC, Professor of Chemistry, Athabasca University; and Moderated by Dr. Carlos Morales, HETS Chair & President, TCC Connect Campus of Tarrant County College- October 30, 2020, at 3:00- 5:00 pm East (EST / PR Time)
- Brief description of the topic: There are special challenges associated with the teaching of science disciplines, the biggest one being how to handle the practical or laboratory components. This is even more so when that laboratory component needs to support a course that is online or at a distance. This has become even more crucial in recent months as science educators are dealing with alternative delivery options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Athabasca University (AU) – Canada’s Open University has the mission to reduce barriers to university-level education and offers its curriculum entirely online and at a distance. This presentation not only reflects current literature but over twenty-five years of experience as a chemistry professor and senior administrator at an open and online university and highlights a few of the alternative approaches in providing a high-quality learning environment in the laboratory. The presentation will try to align and balance the academic role of the laboratory with underlying key educational concepts (e.g. active engagement, learner centeredness, cognitive overload, personalization, flexibility), while also addressing very real logistical and administrative issues. A brief survey and some analysis of several modes to the delivery of our laboratory components (i.e. face-to-face, home-study kits, virtual, fieldwork/clinic, remote) across various science disciplines is provided in the session. Research demonstrates that no one approach is correct, and combinations of modes are often employed. Future laboratory design will not only rely on the continued blending of modes to get the right mix, it will be influenced by trends such as new technologies, access to ubiquitous information, and a move to open learning and open science. This will mean integrating into future teaching laboratories elements like appropriate new technologies, OERs, learning analytics, citizen science, and connection to knowledge networks outside the university.