Show HN: Labster – Virtual Labs for School and Colleges

labster.com

Isn't the point of a lab that for science reality is the touchstone? So doesn't a simulation entirely miss that mark?

Laboratory exercises serve in part to make students familiar with equipment. In other words: why would schools and universities offer up costly lab classes if there were no point in them?

Although I agree that physical labs are essential, I also think it's dangerous to assume that the decision making process in tertiary educational institutions is driven very strongly by a desire to minimize costs. When you're selling a scarce Veblen good, creating and maintaining a luxurious and sophisticated image far outweighs efficiency in terms of overall success.

There is a lot of research proving that learning using virtual labs is much more effective. E.g. only about 20% of the AP Biology curriculum actually require hands-on training. As always, a balance is best, combining both virtual labs and hands on labs - just like pilots train in simulators before going into the airplane.

Here is an interesting article about it: http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n7/full/nbt.2955.html

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