Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Stony Brook U Project Aims to Extend Virtual Science Labs with Gaming Controls

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 08/10/16

Virtual labs have done a decent job of introducing students to scientific work and allowing them to simulate experiments in the absence of a physical lab. However, a faculty member at Stony Brook University said she believes virtual labs could do more, and she intends to apply gamification to find out whether its use could expand how science is practiced online.

M. Ete Chan, an assistant professor in the department of Biomedical Engineering, recently received a grant from her institution to research a project she's calling, "Lab-in-a-Cube." The problem Chan identified was that while virtual science labs look realistic, they still lack some "crucial" aspects: "tactile skills, decision-making for preparation and execution of the lab." For example, the process of "pipetting up and dispensing an accurate volume of chemicals without introducing unnecessary air bubbles cannot be practiced online currently," she noted in a proposal about the project. Likewise, virtual labs rely too much on "computer mouse clicking" or simple choices.

Chan's idea is to come up with hardware that will act as a remote controller to incorporate "key shapes and buttons" of actual lab tools, such as micropipettes, pipette guns, flasks and timers. The use of that kind of virtual content will allow students "to gain realistic hands-on experience."

Chan's funding comes from a program run by the State University of New York (SUNY) that issues "Innovative Instruction Technology Grants" to faculty working on projects in instructional technology that could find replication across all campuses in the system.

Chan will be joined in the initiative with people from other Stony Brook departments in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and Teaching, Learning+Technology Media Lab.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Man offers stem word sign on virtual screen

    Immersive Workforce Development Initiative Connects Students with Real-World STEM Careers

    The Center of Science and Industry, a science museum and research center in Central Ohio, has launched The HIVE, a workforce development initiative designed to help students across the country explore real-world career pathways in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and emerging technologies.

  • digital lock

    CoSN: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Remain Top AI Concerns in Education

    A leading concern for education technology leaders across the United States is the potential for AI to enable new forms of cyber attacks, according to the latest State of Ed Tech report from CoSN.

  • broken digital lock and glowing chain

    Check Point Researchers: AI Has Crossed into the Live Attack Chain

    AI is moving beyond assisting cybercriminals and beginning to operate within live attacks, according to a recent report from Check Point Research. The technology is making sophisticated capabilities faster and more accessible while creating new security risks for businesses deploying their own AI systems.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Intros Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.