Labster stokes students’ natural curiosity and desire to learn STEM through game-based learning. Its 300-plus STEM curriculum-aligned immersive 3D virtual lab simulations in anatomy and physiology, biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and more are driven by storylines that help over 5 million students across 70 countries apply their skills to a real-world context. Labster democratizes science by giving any student with a computer access to advanced, virtual science labs regardless of their background or location.
Instead of using a slide deck or a video in their curriculum, teachers slot in Labster interactive simulations in at least six ways: (1) as a visual aid for complex concepts; (2) to expand accessibility and opportunity; (3) as a pre-lab exercise; (4) to teach beyond time constraints; (5) to target knowledge gaps; and (6) as a Post-Lab exercise.
The Labster platform pairs accessibility and inclusion. Students can explore simulations of their own accord in state-of-the-art laboratories from internet browsers without educational institutions having to scrounge millions of dollars to construct such facilities. This creates the opportunity for teachers and schools to teach beyond the in-class lab budget while decreasing teacher workloads.
Labster integrates with all the major existing Learning Management Systems (LMS), making it easy for instructors to view student performance data and tailor decisions on coaching opportunities. Labster helps teachers regain time by including automatic grading, class analytics, tech support, and a large library of simulations within the software.
Labster offers numerous virtual lab experiences, such as having students neutralize an acid lake, explore the moon, experiment with bacteria, store renewable energy, and assist with a cancer biopsy. In these labs, learners engage in critical thinking, decision-making, hypothesis testing, evaluating, and interpreting their findings. Studies show that virtual simulations of field experiences can be even more engaging than labs experienced in the classroom as learners are immersed in environments that they may otherwise not be able to experience in person due to safety or lack of resources.
Ninety-six percent of teachers who use Labster agree that it increases student engagement and learning outcomes. Students who use Labster virtual labs in combination with an instructor achieved a 101% increase in learning outcomes. For example, Dr. Manuela Tripepi of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia found that microbiology students using Labster virtual labs saw a 19% test score improvement over traditional reading materials. Instructors using Labster simulations can increase their students’ average final course grades by more than 16%, while also reducing their workload and allowing time for other activities. At University College London, Dr. Ionnasis Papaioannou was able to significantly boost final learning outcomes in terms of exam and coursework results by assigning virtual labs as pre-lab homework. His students who completed Labster as a pre-lab scored 19.3% higher on exams.
Price
Labster is a subscription service with access and pricing based on the educator’s needs, maximizing time and cost savings. Rather than constantly replenishing lab supplies and replacing broken instruments, Labster is an economical way to offer access to highly advanced equipment that would otherwise be too expensive or too delicate to expose to most students. Access to Labster’s library of 300+ virtual science simulations is available for free to educators on a trial basis, with the option for 12-month subscription access for a course, department, institution, or educational system. Labster subscriptions include unlimited access to all 300+ virtual lab simulations, 25 course packages, and thousands of STEM learning supplements, along with automated grading, a teacher dashboard, LMS integration and course mapping services, multi-language support, 7-day/week student and educator support, and more. Subscription rates vary by institution type and number of students, and are available at £88 and below (as of October 2022). Discounted access is available for schools.
Installation
Labster is easy to set up and use as the simulations are accessible online and only require a stable internet connection. The web browser-based Labster simulations can be played on a variety of the most commonly used devices — from desktop computers to iPad and Android tablets to Chromebooks — without requiring additional computing resources or maintenance.
Labster runs on its own servers, with local regional servers for GDPR and data privacy compliance. Labster integrates fully with all major LMS via LTI 1.3. so that educators can track student performance from their gradebooks, and students can stay on top of their work. Labster is compatible with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Google Classroom, Schoology, Sakai, and Brightspace / D2L.
Once the Labster-LMS integration is complete, instructors are able to import Labster simulations into their respective courses, making them instantly available for students. Neither instructors nor students will need to create accounts in Labster. Additionally, Labster will synchronize student grades into the relevant LMS gradebook.
Labster provides technical support and training for both faculty and students, relieving the burden on campus ICT teams. Labster offers live one-on-one customer support service to both teachers and students as part of the Labster package. Every Labster customer has a dedicated customer success manager who can advise on course mapping. Our team of experts can advise on how to use virtual labs, how to integrate Labster simulations with the LMS system, and how to fix technical problems. Labster also offers an extensive Resource center through its website.
