\u201cI had used videos to supplement my labs before, but I wanted to build an entire lab course that was a virtual experience so those students wouldn\u2019t be left behind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She worked with NC State DELTA<\/a> for two years to create the content and adapt the technology for a full semester of online virtual reality (VR) organic chemistry labs<\/a>. They finished the labs in 2019 and tested them that fall with a small group of students. The timing turned out to be perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe idea that I\u2019d need these labs because of a pandemic never crossed my mind,\u201d Gallardo-Williams said. \u201cBut when in-person classes ended in spring 2020, we had the labs ready for organic chemistry students within one week, and we\u2019ve been online ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The videos allow chemistry students to immerse themselves in the lab environment, making the same decisions they would in a physical lab, with each decision impacting the next step of the experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStudents make all the decisions, from choosing a sample onward, draw their own conclusions and write up lab reports when they finish,\u201d Gallardo-Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A virtual teaching assistant guides students through each lab session. Gallardo-Williams intentionally chose students of various races and genders to lead each lab so that minority students are exposed to scientists who look like them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard from minority students that they sometimes don\u2019t feel seen in a physical lab,\u201d Gallardo-Williams said. \u201cIn these virtual labs some of them have reported feeling more engaged and empowered to participate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Gallardo-Williams, the labs have been popular with students, who appreciate the ability to rewind and repeat parts of the instruction they don\u2019t understand and to keep problem-solving until they get it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe VR labs were an engaging experience that helped me learn the course material through the use of technology,\u201d said Emilia Casper, a senior in Science, Technology and Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile there are definite advantages to having in-person labs, I was impressed by the quality and interactivity of the VR labs,\u201d said Emily Haupt, a sophomore in animal science. \u201cIt was obvious that a lot of work went on behind the scenes to create that experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/CH222VR-Pilot-Maria-observing-students-1024x576.png\")
<\/a>Reimagining the Lab Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n