Effectiveness of Online Laboratory Experiences

Online education in the laboratory sciences creates a milieu of questions and problems. The efficacy of the hands-on experiences developed by faculty members for distance learners requires student and instructor ingenuity and flexibility. Previous research has determined there is more individual interaction between the faculty member and the online student when compared to traditional courses. However, the effectiveness of these types of activities has not been quantified. By comparing the laboratory results and laboratory reports of on-campus students completing the exact same activities as the distance learners, the nature of the difficulties experienced by the online learners may be determined. This project provides some examples of  “what works” and “what doesn’t work” with regard to distance laboratory exercises using live plant material.