• Programme: Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medicine
• Course unit(s): BA3
• Course unit(s): G000732 - Immunology
• Average number of students: 180 a year, divided over 3 groups
• Involved lecturer(s): Eric.Cox@ugent.be, Herman.Favoreel@ugent.be, B.Devriendt@ugent.be
• Academic year of (first) implementation: 2022-2023

Description

Throughout the Immunology course unit, students perform various tests. At the end of this practical series, they have to make a diagnosis based on the collected results. The individual practicals are organised according to the flipped-classroom principle, where students prepare in advance using the course text, slides and recorded lessons. Finally, after each practical, students are also expected to submit a report.

To activate students more during their preparation of the practicals, they were now through the 'Virtual Science Labs' project also provided with more interactive simulations in the form of Labster and LearnSci. In addition to a higher motivation, these could also bring about a higher learning effect among students and who knows, perhaps even a decrease in the burden on supervisors. Faced with a group of sixty students per tutor, it quickly pays off when students know in advance how the practical will run and where they can find the necessary materials.

One of the experiments revolves around ELISA, a technique that can be used to detect antibodies in a serum. Moreover, because both Labster and LearnSci offer a simulation on this, the two tools could be compared with each other. While Labster presents students with a gaming experience by immersing them in a virtual lab, a simulation within LearnSci can be considered more like an interactive powerpoint.

Both tools have their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, Labster's virtual lab space really manages to motivate students but, at the same time, the heavy simulation can cause the browser to crash and the student has to start all over again. LearnSci manages to enthuse students less in terms of experience and sometimes feels more like an extra powerpoint but does offer a thorough clarification of theory. Furthermore, both tools differ a lot in the distinction they make between main and side issues. Because Labster requires a fixed, linear path to be followed, sometimes as much attention goes to removing a virtual pair of gloves as to the underlying theory of the practical. In LearnSci, this is less of an issue, also because here the student can easily skip steps - which, in turn, leads to students being able to run a simulation too quickly.

Finally, neither tool allows for editing. For this practical, this was not insurmountable (although the pipettes in Labster looked somewhat more advanced than those in the actual practical), but sometimes the introduction that Labster provides with its simulation can get in the way of a good connection with the practical. If you want to be able to edit your interactive material yourself, you should rather use a tool like H5P.

Experiences

• When asked whether the tools helped them understand the material better, most students gave a score of five or more (on a scale of 1 to 10). Forty per cent even gave the tools an eight or more here.
• Whereas Labster is perceived (very) positively by a large proportion of students, also 15% of students gave the tool a bad score and this often out of technical reasons (heavy, slow...). With LearnSci, where a large majority of students state that they experienced the tool as a help, this distinction does not play out.
• When faced with the dilemma, some 30% of the BA3 students prefer LearnSci and almost 50% prefer Labster. The latter somewhat contrasts with the impression of lecturers, who situate the level of Labster simulations rather in the upper years of high school. Less than 10% of students find the tools of no added value.

Recording

The recording of the presentation on Labster given at the revisionday of the "Virtual Science Labs" project can be found here.