As virtual reality becomes cheaper and more accessible to students, the power of the technology as a teaching tool is being realised.

One of the leading providers of virtual labs for higher education, Labster, will be on campus Friday to provide a workshop on their technology and how it can be used to improve student learning in science.

“This technology is really exciting and research is showing the huge potential it has to improve students’ learning in lab settings,” says Nick Baker, director of the Office of Open Learning.

Baker says these labs have been shown to reduce time needed in traditional labs because students are better prepared, reduce equipment breakage and waste, and increase student learning, especially when paired with traditional labs.

Labster provides more than 60 high fidelity virtual labs focused on such topics as chemistry, genetics, microbiology, ecology, embryology, diabetes, neurology, anatomy, forensics, microscopy, and general lab safety, with more simulations being added all the time. The full range of simulations is available at: (https://www.labster.com/simulations/) and faculty can sign up for a free trial.

The University of Windsor has also recently been awarded a ‘sandbox grant’ through eCampus Ontario to try Labster during the 2017/18 academic year.

Faculty interested in learning more about Labster technology and what it can do for students are invited to the workshop, taking place Friday from 2:45 to 4 p.m. in room B06 Odette School of Business. Sign up is required and available at: https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/6/

For more information on Labster, contact Nick Baker in the Office of Open Learning, nbaker@uwindsor.ca, or ext. 4925.