LabBuddy offers an e-learning solution which augments traditional lab teaching by means of blended learning. It helps students prepare for a practical, supports them during the practical and guides them to process and interpret their results.

The LabBuddy platform allows students to build their own lab manual in a step-by-step manner. This results in students who come to the practical fully prepared. Each LabBuddy implementation is custom-made for your practical, based on the lab manual you provide.

The video shows how LabBuddy can be used by a student.

 

Labster offers a catalogue of 3D simulations which illustrate scientific concepts in a gamified manner. Students experience what it is like to be in the lab. You can explore the catalogue here, using the following login and password:

• login: virtualsciencelabs@ugent.be
• password: Labster_UGent321!

To explore the catalogue, click the ‘Catalogue’ button in the left bottom corner. There are two options to look at a simulation: 

1. hover over the simulation and click the play-icon that appears in the display to the left. This shows you a recording of the simulation, which allows you to go through it quickly. Since it is a recording, it is not interactive;
2. alternatively, click the title of the simulation. This brings you to the actual simulation which the students will see as well.

Are you looking for an overview of the simulations per discipline (without seeing the actual simulations)? Browse the tabs in this document to find an inventory of all the titles, along with a synopsis.

Would you like to implement Labster in your teaching practice? Let us know beforehand at virtualsciencelabs@ugent.be so we provide the necessary licenses for you. Afterwards you can simply install an LTI connection between your Ufora course and the Labster simulation you wish to use, using this manual. This way, the students are easily directed to the correct simulation. Whenever students start a simulation in your Ufora course, the Labster website will automaticallt generate a corresponding account. Click here to find out in what ways you can implement Labster in your teaching activities.

The LTI link also automatically adds the Labster simulation to the grade book of your course in Ufora. Make sure to hide the grade book from users if you do not want your students to see it.

 

The image shows a student view of a Labster simulation

 

LearnSci offers a catalogue of 2D simulations in which complex scientific concepts are visualized and explained in a concise and interactive manner. Topics range from safety in the lab, pipetting, to making dilutions and more, which makes this tool very well suited to prepare students for practicals. More complex topics are often divided into smaller modules, which allows the lecturer to pick and choose precisely what they need. You can explore the Bioscience and Chemistry catalogs for an overview of the available simulations.

In order to use the LearnSci catalogue, the homepage needs to be integrated into a Ufora course or into your Sandbox. This manual shows you how. Read the manual carefully to fully understand every functionality LearnSci has to offer.

After integrating the Learnsci homepage into your Ufora module, a window with more information on LabSim will open. Scrolling down, you will find the LabSim catalogue. Click any topic of your choice and go the 'Preview' to go through it. You can use the ‘Search’ bar to filter the LabSims according to topic or tag.

The image shows a LearnSci simulation

 

H5P is an open source tool to create content based on JavaScript. The tool allows for the creation, use and sharing of interactive HTML5 content, even without coding knowledge.

Meanwhile H5P is available in both your Ufora Sandbox and your Ufora courses, both as an ‘existing activity’ or when clicking the button ‘insert stuff’ in a text editor. See the designated Onderwijstip for more information on this tool

 

Adding H5P content within an Ufora text editor

 

Here you can find an example of a virtual tour of a laboratory made with a 360° camera and H5P. You can move the scenes around and skip through them using the arrows shown in the images.

 

 

JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) offers over 15,000 short videos discussing core scientific concepts and lab techniques. Additionally, complete practicals with ready-to-use manuals for lecturers and protocols for students are also available.

Ghent University staff have access to the categories ‘Chemistry’, ‘Environmental Sciences’ and 'Physics' until 31 December 2023. You can access these educational materials by logging in with your Ghent University email address or by simply navigating to the JoVE website from the university network (or alternatively through VPN).  Through the 'Embed' button underneath a video, a code is generated which allows you to integrate the clip in your Ufora course (through the source code button '<>' in each text editor). Negotiations concerning continued access past december 2023 are ongoing.

Other achievements of this project are:

• the purchase of eight HoloLenses for teaching purposes;
• the purchase of 15 hardware components for physiological practicals;
• the purchase of hand-held sensor units for at-home physics practicals and the development of accompanying learning paths;
• the continued development of Dodona;
• the development of VR and AR applications:
  • functional veterinary anatomy and medicine;
  • AR/VR horse RX app;
  • virtual training by Day One Skills for reproductive research;
  • an e-learning module for biosafety using 3D virtual tools;
• developing a user-friendly rendition of Opanex, a tool that offers interactive visualizations of 3D-scans for a number of disciplines (anatomy, geography, mineralogy)