My radiant padlet by Nathaniel Powers

Types of content

nspowers — 2024-12-07 16:54:49 UTC

LabXchange features many types of content including text, images, video, infographics, and interactive labs. As an educator, you may also use your own content or remix from an existing resource.

Content across many disciplines

nspowers — 2024-12-07 17:25:28 UTC

One of the features that LabXchange does well is to support a variety of content topics. The library hosts over 30,000 content ideas at levels of middle school, high school, and advanced/college levels. Examples include:

Biology - intro to cellular structure
Chemistry - rates of reactions
Data Science - interpreting histograms
Earth and Space - the water cycle
Educator Skills - inclusive teaching
Global Health - diseases
Health Science - what is cancer
Mathematics - algebra
Physics - forces and motion
Prepare for Careers - enrichment
Science and Society - bioethics

Overview

nspowers — 2024-12-07 17:32:38 UTC

This video speaks about addressing the need for a more equitable sciences access and education delivered through the LabXchange platform in collaboration with Harvard University.

Constructivism [Pieget]

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:00:52 UTC

LabXchange's range of interactive activities support Constructivism learning strategies. The simulations are a unique feature to LabXchange and they encourage learners to practice and try items out, while they are led through a simulation. This learning by doing concept enables learners to take risks and learn from errors without the hazards or costs of a physical laboratory.

Experiential Learning [Kolb]

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:11:44 UTC

The simulation feature supports a life-like learning process. Through an abstracted interface, learners can either explore with self-directed learning or follow instructor-led steps. The chemistry lab modules are designed for students to become familiar with lab equipment and processes as part of homework, to prepare them to maximize their time and confidence in lab procedures when they visit physical chemistry lab. For many students, a virtual lab is sufficient to teach a process.

For some labs, is difficult to replace with a simulation, however students find that they have greater confidence and efficiency having run through the lab process several times in the virtual space before committing to a process using physical chemicals and apparatuses. Kolb's theory supports this work where knowledge is created through the transformation of experience in the virtual environment.

Learning by Doing [Dewey]

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:16:14 UTC

Dewey believed that educational activities should connect with the world to make real learning possible. One of the themes I admire in LabXchange is how practical many of the lessons are. Educators supply several different instructional formats to reach a diversity of learning preferences. The examples are also concrete, enabling a transfer of knowledge from the practice to real-world experience.

Self-Determined Learning [Heutagogy]

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:20:49 UTC

The learning pathway feature available for series topics in LabXchange support a learning pathway design for students to move through content modules. When educators contribute a variety of content, students can move through the pathway at the pace that suits them and choosing the topics that they find most interesting.

Learning Objectives

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:26:00 UTC

Each module contains learning objectives to help students connect with the content. The objectives and the content tags also support teachers to discover and also remix the content for their own lessons.

Learning Pathways

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:31:50 UTC

LabXchange features a content learning pathway, where modules can be organized into pathways. Instructors can also customize core pathways, such as using LabXchange's material for teaching and then embedding their own resources, videos, or reflection activity or exit tickets.

Interactives

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:42:35 UTC

One of my favorite features are the interactives in LabXchange. As the learner scrolls down the page, they are introduced to topics such as equipment and steps. It works as a great overview to a topic or a way to review material. Plus the flat-stylized illustrations emphasizes the content and create a clean interface for learning.

Clusters

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:45:37 UTC

Clusters serve as a chapter overview. Often built as a collection of learning pathways, these tiles show learners what content is available in a chapter.

Simulations

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:51:43 UTC

My favorite feature in LabXchange are the simulations. Often for as a pre-lab or learning widget, simulations enable students to click and drag items of the screen and to watch how they interact with each other.

For example, the Photosynthesis simulation, shows students each step of the protocol. Students can drag the pipette over the test tube, and click through actions that simulate the actions of a real-world solution transfer.

Content

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:55:16 UTC

The content module contains a rich set of text and images designed to communicate steps such as in an article or textbook. The page orients learners to which step order they are on and an outline on the sidebar guides learners through each section toward a reflection and summary.

Lesson Plan

nspowers — 2024-12-07 18:56:27 UTC

In addition to its reviewed content for students, LabXchange features a Lesson Plan guide to provide teaching suggestions for educators presenting the content.