Developing and Presenting Lab Activities in an Online Environment

University of Nebraska High School Opened in 1929 to serve rural Nebraska students Presently serving students in 50 states and over 100 countries We currently offer over 100 courses in all subject areas. Leaders in Distance Education 1st distance education school to receive regional accreditation 9 years of UCEA Awards for curriculum design 2011 and 2012 Best Practice Awards from US Distance Learning Assoc. Tier 1 U.S. Military status Recommended by US Dept. of State for overseas schools Accredited The Nebraska Department of Education AdvancED (parent organization of The North Central Association) NCAA has approved ALL our core courses

Benefits of Online Labs Promote 21st Century skills Critical thinking, communication, data collection and evaluation, media, information and technology skills, research methodologies and problem solving. Engage students in quality laboratory experiences Online labs Hands-on “wet” labs Written lab Reports Incorporate key curriculum elements Research, data recording and analysis, synthesis and evaluation of results Communication of the those results that is essential in a distance or blended environment.

Options for Online Labs Students work in online laboratories Teachers save preparation and cleanup time Saves use of on-site lab facilities and hours Virtual labs require no supervision Students complete online laboratory reports Easy to share Promotes peer review Provides teachers with more efficient grading opportunities Students upload videos of lab work with report Facilitates peer review Saves class time typically spent organizing verbal reports

Benefits of Using Online Labs For the students…. Allows students to personalize their experience Includes a choice of materials to use to complete the activities and a choice of methods to present findings Students relate lab activities to their own life. Challenges students to use a progression of skills Research Data recording and analysis Synthesis and evaluation of results.

Benefits of Online Labs cont…. For the instructors…. Lowers costs for lab materials “Kitchen” labs use mostly household items More effective peer review of student work Easier to share findings with other students. Engages multiple modalities Incorporates physical "hands-on" components Addresses varying learning styles More efficient teacher assessment of student work No papers to carry around Work can be graded and immediately returned to students from anywhere with an Internet connection

Samples of Online Projects and Labs Biology Lab Project Flexible formats that include the options of graphics, web resource URL’s, videos, pictures, and text to present research on a ecosystem of student’s choice Informational Brochure Website Presentation Lab Reports

Samples of Online Projects and Labs Pre-Engineering Lab Project Flexible formats that include the use of graphics, web resource URL’s, videos, pictures, and text to present research, findings, and document the building of a working projectile launcher No lab kit needed – materials obtained locally Video of working launcher Drawings or sketches of launcher PowerPoint Presentation

Samples of Online Projects and Labs Physics Lab Project Students use information learned about phase changes to run lab experiment and calculate the energy each step takes. Students use step-by-step instructions to perform measurements and make calculations Provides for research and writing in sciences Provides analysis, evaluation, and drawing conclusions

Thank You! Questions? Judy Montgomery, UNHS Curriculum Tricia Kehn, UNHS Curriculum Email: jmontgomery@nebraska.edu tkehn@nebraska.edu Website: http://highschool.nebraska.edu