Practical science at a distance

Practical work is an essential element of any chemistry curriculum that has experimentation at its core. This can be challenging for those offering distance learning, such as the UK’s Open University (OU). Historically, practical skills for distance learners were developed using home experiment kits and occasional intensive face-to-face laboratory sessions. The internet however provides new opportunities for teaching practical science, and access to science learning through new technology is booming.

Some of the skills students learn through practical work require a level of manual dexterity that is best learned in a face-to-face environment, but many others can be achieved using online experiments. Indeed, development of certain practical skills online can provide additional advantages where access to resources, time and facilities is limited.

Two years ago, the OU – with funding from the Wolfson Foundation – launched the Open Science Laboratory (OSL). This globally-accessible online laboratory allows OU students to conduct rigorous investigations using real data and authentic interfaces. In line with the OU’s mission to be ‘open’, a number of the experiments are freely accessible on registration with the site. The OSL also hosts a range of citizen science projects open to everybody.

Eleanor Crabb explores the types of online practical work available and how they can be used to support students and during assessment.